1 Harbury & Ladbroke News Reflects all aspects of local life, is published monthly and produced with the assistance of All Saints' Parochial Church Council.

May 2011 No.446 Editorial Office  612155 Articles to Harbury Pharmacy, High Street Email address [email protected] Advertising Office 31, Binswood End ( 612155) [email protected] Distribution Manager 49, Mill Street ( 612009) [email protected] Inserts by prior arrangement  612009

IN THIS ISSUE Page EDITORIAL ………………………………………………………... 2 HARBURY DIARY & REFUSE ROTA………………………….. 2 FROM THE RECTOR & CHURCH NEWS …………………….. 5

LADBROKE NEWS ………………………………………………. 8 HARBURY PARISH COUNCIL …………………………………. 17

CLUBS & SOCIETIES …………………………………………... 20 EARLY YEARS & SCHOOL...... ……………………………...... 30

VILLAGE HALL UPDATE ………………………………………. 38 GARDENING & NATURE ……………………………………..... 39

GENERAL SECTION …………………………………………….. 45 LETTERS TO THE EDITORS …………………………………… 60

Editorial Team John Holden - Chris Finch - Marian Millington Ralph Swadling - Janice Montague

The views of contributors are not necessarily those of the Editorial Team The Editors reserve the right to amend articles as they see fit. 2 Editorial

From the numbers of houses and pubs that were decorated in support of the Royal Wedding, it appeared the village wishes the Royal couple well. Whilst Ladbroke has held its Annual Parish Meeting, Harbury’s is on the 12th May at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. There will be a presentation by representatives from Warwickshire County Library Service. The Heart of Harbury Games already has six teams but there is still time to join in the event. Dave Moorcroft will be opening the Games, so this will be an opportunity to see an athletic World record holder. Ladbroke is also looking for help with their Village Fete. The Carnival will be taking an international dimension with Samois-sur-Seine guests participating in the wheelbarrow race. Action for Market Towns is running an online survey and there is the opportunity to comment on Southam, see page 58. We are aware that selected notices on the village notice boards are being removed before the event. It would be helpful if organisations could remove notices once the event has passed.

Harbury Diary

MAY Sun 8 EASTER III Holy Communion 8.00am Sung Eucharist 10.30am Tues 10 Toddlers Service 2.00pm, Tom Hauley Room Holy Communion 7.30pm Wed 11 Ballroom Dancing 8.00-10.00pm in Village Hall Energy Champions Training 7.30pm, Meadow Farm 3 Thurs 12 Table Tennis 9.30am to 10.30am in Village Hall Holy Communion 9.45am Mothers’ Union Deanery Festival Service 2.00pm Harbury Choir School 6.30pm in Village Hall Annual Parish Meeting 7.30pm Village Hall WI 7.45pm in Tom Hauley Room – ‘Resolutions’ Fri 13 Rugby Club event 5.00-12.00pm in Village Hall Sat 14 Coffee Morning 10.00am in Tom Hauley Room in aid of British Heart Foundation Councillors Corner 10.00 – 11.30am outside the Post Office, Harbury Rugby Club event 9.00am-1.00pm in Village Hall Sun 15 EASTER IV Holy Communion 8.00am Family Communion Service 10.30am Evensong 6.00pm plus Laying up of old British Legion Standard ADVERTS FOR NEXT ISSUE TO: 31 BINSWOOD END, HARBURY BY 5.30PM Tues 17 Holy Communion 7.30pm Mothers’ Union Meeting 8.00pm Tom Hauley Room – Carol Davies considers Biblical families and their relevance today Weds 18 Tea 3.00pm, Tom Hauley Room Ballroom Dancing 8.00-10.00pm in Village Hall Thurs 19 Table Tennis 9.30-10.30am in Village Hall Holy Communion 9.45am Harbury Choir School 6.30-8.00pm in Village Hall Sat 21 Men’s Prayer Breakfast 7.30am Tom Hauley Room Coffee Morning 10.00am in Tom Hauley Room in aid of Toddler Group Harbury Society Warmington Walk 10.00am Junior Football Presentation in Village Hall 7.00pm to Midnight Sun 22 EASTER V Holy Communion 8.00am Sung Eucharist 10.30am Tues 24 Parish Council 7.30pm in Village Hall Holy Communion 7.30pm Julian Meeting 8.00pm Wed 25 Ballroom Dancing 8.00-10.00pm in Village Hall Thurs 26 Table Tennis 9.30-10.30am in Village Hall Holy Communion 9.45am Thursday Club 2.00-4.00pm in Village Hall ARTICLES TO HARBURY PHARMACY, HIGH STREET AND EMAIL ARTICLES DEADLINE BY 5.30PM Harbury Choir School 6.30pm in Village Hall 4 Thurs 26 Village Hall Committee 7.30pm in Village Hall Sat 28 Coffee Morning 10.00am in Tom Hauley Room in aid of Myton Hospice Sun 29 EASTER VI Holy Communion 8.00am Sung Eucharist 10.30am Tues 31 Drop in Tea for the Bereaved 2.30 – 4.30pm at 19 Farm Street Holy Communion 7.30pm JUNE Weds 1 Holy Communion 2.00pm Tom Hauley Room Mothers’ Union Meeting 2.30pm Tom Hauley Room Steph & Geoff Devlin – update on Leamington Christian Mission Ballroom Dancing in Village Hall 8.00 – 10.00pm Thurs 2 ASCENSION DAY Men’s Group Visit to Coventry Cathedral Painting Workshop with your own choice of media (eg pastels, watercolours, acrylics). 10am to approx 3pm in the Tom Hauley Room. £15 per person, all levels of ability welcome. To book your place call Nick on 01295 276465 or Pam on 01926 814923, Harbury Art Group Fri 3 Macmillan Miles Challenge in High Street, Harbury Folk Club 8.00pm in Dog Inn Sat 4 Coffee Morning 10.00am in Tom Hauley Room in aid of Cricket Club Macmillan Miles Challenge in High Street, Harbury Sun 5 EASTER VII - SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION Sung Eucharist 9.00am First Light Service 10.30am Tom Hauley Room Quiet Contemplative Service in the Celtic Tradition 6.00pm

Refuse Collection Rota Deppers Bridge Harbury Ladbroke Refuse Collection Week

Wed Thurs Fri

11 12 13 Green & Blue Lid Bins

May 18 19 20 Grey Bin

25 26 27 Green & Blue Lid Bins

1 2 3 Grey Bin

8 9 10 Green & Blue Lid Bins June 15 16 17 Grey Bin 5 From the Rector Father Craig Groocock The Rectory, Vicarage Lane, Harbury Tel.: 612377 Getting married I write this on the Eve of the Royal Wedding. This morning the TV and radio stations are buzzing about the great occasion tomorrow at Westminster Abbey. We all wish HRH Prince William and Catherine Middleton, God’s blessings for their future lives together. Weddings are wonderful times of celebration and joy and, as a parish priest, preparing couples to be married and then conducting their services, is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the job. This year in Harbury and Ladbroke we have eleven marriage services which is a significant increase on last year. Perhaps with the Royal Wedding we may see an increase again next year, who knows? The law changed in this country three years ago, a change that has made it easier for couples to be married in an Anglican Church of their choice. The Marriage Measure of 2008 now means that couples are entitled to be married in any parish church so long as one of them can show a connection with that Church e.g. they were baptised there, that their parents live in the parish or that one of them lived in the parish for six months of their lives. This now makes it possible for couples to be married in Harbury or Ladbroke even if they now live elsewhere. Of course if one of them currently lives in the parish then getting married here is straightforward. Harbury and Ladbroke Churches are here for you. If you are thinking of being married and would like to have a Church wedding, then do get in touch with me. After your initial contact we will send you some paperwork to fill in and arrange for you to come and have a chat about your eligibility to be married. We will then look at possible dates and arrange another meeting to put together your order of service for the big day. It really is an exciting process and one the Church shares with you. So do give me a call if this is something you are considering for your future. I look forward to hearing from you. God bless. From the Registers Burial of Ashes, All Saints’ Harbury 20th April Nellie Spencer Holy Matrimony, All Saints’ Harbury 30th April Simon Rawlings to Nicola Goodwill 6 From the Churchwardens Will, Liz & Fliss

We were delighted on Mothering Sunday to welcome the school at our morning service. They gave the presentations, reminding us in pictures and moving words of how much we owe to our mothers. They were really well supported by parents and friends as was the afternoon service arranged by the First Light team who came into Church for this special occasion. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Lent worship. Evening Communions and Friday meditations were very well attended as were the Lent Lunches, proceeds from which will go to Send a Cow. April’s All Age Communion Service took place on Palm Sunday when some thirty of us processed from school. With the use of his own graphics, Father Craig gave the presentation which focused on the significance of Christ’s Cross: X marks the spot where the treasure is buried – Christ, our treasure, in this case; crossroads where we need to go straight ahead, making the choice to follow Christ; a cross for our mistakes; the cross which, like a kiss, redeems us with love. Holy Week was, as always, special. We were very pleased to see so many children and their parents on Good Friday morning and to welcome the Reverend Ruth Tuschling, Warden of Offa House, who led “One Hour at the Cross” on that afternoon. And we were delighted to see the Church packed for our Easter morning worship. We do thank Fr. Craig and everyone involved in making our Easter worship so moving and uplifting. It took place in a Church that was beautifully decorated, for which we thank Jo and her team. Mothers’ Union Gillian Hare

At our afternoon meeting we heard an inspirational talk by Anne Lancaster about Corrie Ten Boom. Born in 1892 in Haarlem in Holland, in a Christian family, she grew up studying seven subjects at Bible school and running clubs for girls. When war broke out and the Nazis overran her country, her home became a safe house for Jews escaping arrest. Eventually, she and her family were arrested and she was taken to Ravensbruck concentration camp with her sister Betsy who sadly died. In the camp she took every opportunity to share the Gospel, her trust in 7 God and her forgiveness for her persecutors. Amazingly, she survived to run recovery centres and continued to work for the Lord in America and Vietnam until her death at the age of 91. What a wonderful woman. In the evening, Sue led a sharing session of memories of Easter, especially her own visit to the Holy Land. A reminder – Thursday 12th May, 2pm – Deanery Festival at Harbury Tuesday 17th May – 8pm after Communion at 7.30pm: Carol Davies – “Biblical Families and their Relevance Today” Wednesday 1st June – 2pm Communion in the Tom Hauley Room followed by a talk on their work at Leamington Christian Mission by Steph and Geoff Devlin. This will be of particular interest to all those who faithfully put gifts in the box in Church and visitors will be most welcome to come and hear them. Toddlers’ Service Barbara Thistlethwaite

We started our Toddlers’ Service with Mr Hare playing the accordion for us and by us singing our chosen song “Jesus’ love is very wonderful “. Mrs Grimes had come to tell us our story and she asked if we knew what a shepherd was. Of course the answer was someone who looks after sheep. Mrs Grimes then told us the story of “The Good Shepherd”. The shepherd had 100 sheep and one day as he was counting them going into their pen he found he was one short so he had to leave the 99 sheep in the pen and go and look for the 100th sheep which had got lost. We then sang a lovely song about the one sheep that had got “lost” but it all ended very happily when the shepherd found the missing sheep stuck in a bush. He brought it home to be with the other 99. We then heard a strange noise and there in a box was a real baby lamb that Mrs Grimes had brought for us all to see. The lamb was bleating but it allowed us all to touch and stroke it and she seemed to like being with all of us. Mrs Grimes then put the lamb back in its box and took it back to the farmer she had borrowed it from to be with its mummy. Mrs Grimes said that Jesus was our Good Shepherd and would always look after us. We then said our prayer, did some stickings and played until it was time to go home. Our next Toddlers’ Service is on Tuesday May 10th at 2.00pm in the Tom Hauley room. All babies and toddlers accompanied by an adult are welcome to join us. Hope to see you all there. 8 Ladbroke News & Diary

MAY Sun 8 EASTER III Holy Communion, 9.00am Tues 10 HS2 Consultation Open Evening, 7,30pm in Village Hall Wed 11 Yoga Class, 6.30pm in Village Hall Parish Council Meeting, 7.45pm in Village Hall Sun 15 EASTER IV Holy Communion (BCP), 9.00am ADVERTS FOR NEXT ISSUE TO: 31 BINSWOOD END, HARBURY BY 5.30PM Wed 8 Yoga Class, 6.30pm in Village Hall Sat 21 Whist Drive, 7.45pm in Village Hall Sun 22 EASTER V Holy Communion (sung), 9.00am Wed 25 Yoga Class, 6.30pm in Village Hall Thurs 26 Women’s Institute, 7.30pm in Village Hall ARTICLES TO HARBURY PHARMACY, HIGH STREET AND EMAIL ARTICLES DEADLINE BY 5.30PM Sat 28 Whist Drive, 7.45pm in Village Hall Sun 29 EASTER VI Holy Communion (said Service), 9.00am Rogation Service, 3.00pm, Deppers Bridge Playing Field

Ladbroke Church News Sue Lord

This year's Lent Lunches have been a great success raising nearly £600 of which 50% has been donated to the Air Ambulance. A huge thank you to all who hosted lunches in their homes and to everyone who attended and gave so generously. Our Easter Festival has been a very busy period. A joint Maundy Thursday Service included a symbolic washing of feet by Father Craig. The Good Friday Children's Service was followed by 'One Hour at the Cross'. This was a moving occasion especially the presentation by the Rev. Ruth Tuschling Warden of Offa House. The evening Devotional Service saw a full congregation who enjoyed readings and music. The augmented choir led by Bill Bosworth supported the evening in superb fashion. 9 The Church was beautifully decorated for the Easter Day Communion. Many thanks to all who spent so much time creating the flower arrangements. The service was followed by an Easter Egg Hunt which was enjoyed by all the children and several Mums and Dads who could not resist the temptation to find an egg or two. A reminder that there will be a Rogation Service at 3.00pm on Sunday 29th May at Deppers Bridge playing field. Work is due to continue on improving the Church pathways and to finalise the installation of the bench in memory of Alan and Nancy Stubbs. More re-pointing work is planned over the next few months with special attention to the East Wall.

Ladbroke Flower Rota May 2011 1st May - Jane Rutherford 8th May - Kate Todman 15th May - Margaret Whitehouse 22nd May - Betty Winkfield 29th May - Christine B Sue Lord Ladbroke Annual Village Meeting Betty Winkfield

Ladbroke Village AGM was held on 20th April 2011. Parish Councils are required to hold an AGM by law. It was a good meeting with about forty people present. Police report: As no representative from the police attended, the report from their roads policy unit about tackling speeding on A423 was read out. 80% of rural areas believe they have a problem and there are daily requests for monitoring so the policy for this is based on reducing casualties. Last year, the A423 was one of the “hot routes” (ie special police observation areas) monitored on a monthly rota by cameras and plain police bikes. There were mobile cameras near Farnborough and Fenny Compton but insufficient funds to finance reinstatement of the camera site at Ladbroke. Concern was expressed that the monitoring was not on bank holidays or weekends when most of the speeding, mainly motorcyclists, occurred. It has been raised as a priority with the safer neighbour police team several times. 10 HS2 Action Group report: The local action group has been very active and on the day of the meeting it was 100 days until the Public Consultation on HS2 closes. There will be an HS2 Consultation Open Evening in Ladbroke Village Hall on Tuesday May 10th at 7.30pm advising how best to respond to the consultation document. There will also be advice at the fete on June 18th. It is important that answers are definitely negative and do not say “Yes, but...” as this will appear to support the proposals. An HS2 “Propaganda “ Roadshow will be held on The Bell Inn car park on Thursday 2nd June from 8am to 8pm. Both Warwickshire and the District Councils are against HS2 and have some monies set aside for fighting it. The new proposed route has the A423 on a viaduct, noise will be the biggest pollutant and it is being asked if HS2 can be in a deeper cutting to decrease visual impact and noise from the road. Noise could also be reduced by using a surface which minimises road roar. Parish Council Chairman's report: Elections for a new Parish Council were due this May but as there were only 4 candidates (Derek Batty, Valerie Copley, Philip Maffey and Martin Neal) these have been appointed without election. Ladbroke is entitled to 5 Parish Councillors so a 5th person may be co-opted. Derek Batty, chairman, thanked the retiring members, Peter Goldson, Richard Bennett and Jim Clews, for their work and support. Warwickshire County Councillor, Bob Stevens was thanked for his support and guidance as was Chris Williams, the Stratford District Councillor, Tim Seddon, our tree warden and Kip Warr, our webmaster. The parish plan has been accepted by the District Council; it will soon need updating but the Localism Bill may require it to include different information and a new format. The parish precept is unchanged. County Council report: Warwickshire will have to make £66M savings over three years. There will 600 redundancies over that time and less managerial positions. Ten care homes will be closed but there will more support to help the elderly live at home. There is an extension to Galanos House for dementia patients and other dementia homes are still being built. Other changes include closing three fire stations and reducing library services; Southam will have shorter hours. The police front desk at Southam will be in the library. There will be reductions to youth services and less rural transport grants. During questions it was requested that the bus which “serves” Ladbroke actually comes through the village, rather than having an unmarked stop somewhere on the bypass. Bob finally wished the new Parish Council well, saying that the last council had worked well together. District Council report: As at county level, the district also has to make major savings. There will be cuts to some services but many savings will come from efficiencies, redundancies and early retirements and sharing 11 services with other areas - Malvern was mentioned. More housing is needed and planning has become less bureaucratic with the introduction of permitted development rights. Chris was very much against wind farms in the area “There is more wind off the North Sea”, especially as the turbines may be 400 feet high, which is higher than St Paul's cathedral. The next Community Forum is on 8th June. Reports from Village organisations Alibone Trust: This generates income from land very close to the proposed HS2 route and shares this between the Church and a non- ecclesiastical fund. The latter donated £1000 to the HS2 action group. Parish Church: The average attendance is about 25 people with more at the monthly Family Service and many more at Easter and Christmas Services. The Rogation Service at Deppers Bridge, the special afternoon Remembrance Service and “Beer and Carols” at the Bell Inn are planned to become annual events. Church finances are much improved through increased giving, Gift Aid, donations and fund raising events and everyone who has helped was thanked. Work was done in 2010 to solve the damp problems causing interior plaster to fall away. Thanks to a legacy and generally better finances, other repairs to the stonework and rendering at the east end of the building, identified as urgent in 2007, but deferred through lack of funds, can now be progressed. Village Hall: The Hall is used for various meetings, regular activities, parties and had a range of fund raising events. The Millennium Draw has increased membership and now has 8 prizes per month. A sub- committee has formed to work on raising funds for the new Hall building project and has generated a business plan. Millennium Green: There were no new developments in 2010 and none are planned for the immediate future. Fund raising activities such as the fete, safari supper and last year's wine tasting raise money for public liability insurance and maintenance. Last year funds were also supplemented by donations including a number of small sums from people who shop online using easyfundraising.org.uk to access retailers' sites and thanks to a generous donation from the organisers of the Bonfire Night celebrations. The wild flower area is a challenge and this year will be mown regularly in an attempt to control the nettles which choke it; low cost ideas to improve the wildflowers would be welcome. The fete on Saturday 18th June will combine many of the usual stalls and activities with some new ones, including a scarecrow competition. Women's Institute: Ladbroke and Deppers Bridge WI meets on the 4th Thursday of the month at 7.30pm. Visitors and new members are welcome. Funds are in a healthy state. A varied programme of talks, many outings plus dining out are enjoyed by the 30-odd members. 12 Whist Drives: These continue on Saturday evenings at 7.45pm, usually they are held fortnightly, largely depending if the Hall is available. On average there are six tables playing. New players are welcome. Photography Club: This meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm. The club now has 20 members and provides a range of activities to improve members' photographic skills. It will have an exhibition at the fete and is hoping to produce a 2012 calendar of local views. Bell Ringers meet for practice on Monday evenings in Church from 7 to 8pm. They are always ready to welcome newcomers to their circle. This year there are two new ringers and the team will be busy with four weddings at Ladbroke Church. Proposed Merger between the Village Hall & Millennium Green Charities: A merger into one Charitable Trust is being investigated. It would remove duplication of effort and might reduce insurance costs; fund raising activities would become a joint effort. Although a merger would lessen the total number of trustees needed, there would probably be sub- committees e.g. fund raising. Due to their constitutions, any merger is likely to be a lengthy process involving the Charity Commission. Things are still at the very early stages with informal discussions between the committees and feedback from the Ladbroke Community is requested. As no show stoppers were identified, the discussions will continue. Ladbroke & Deppers Bridge Women’s Institute Carol Lane

At our April meeting Sarah Gray, an image consultant for Colour Me Beautiful told us how to make the best of ourselves regarding the colours we wear. To quote Coco Chanel “See a badly dressed woman and you remember what she was wearing, see a well dressed woman and you remember the woman” We were asked to think of people who we thought dressed well - our list included Kate Middleton, Michelle Obama, Twiggy and Fiona Bruce – these all dress appropriately for their age, their role and have good colour sense. Wearing the colours that suit you will help give the right first impression and makes clothes shopping much easier since you can avoid the colours that don't work for you. 13 People fall into six overall categories based on hair, eye and skin colours and there were many chuckles in the discussion that followed as we tried to assign ourselves and other members to one of these categories. Then a representative of each group joined Sarah at the front and for each one she showed us using colour bibs and cotton swatches which colour palette to avoid and which shades and tones worked well. Our LIGHT volunteer, with fair hair, eyes and skin looked washed out by strong colours but good in grey or navy instead of black, off-white rather than bright white and also in the lighter shades of blues, reds etc. The lady representing those with DEEP colouring, with dark hair and eyes, could take stronger colours and looked good in dark brown, navy, red, purple and also in off-white or yellow when this was combined with a dark colour. Then we saw the difference between people in the WARM and COOL groups. Eye colour can vary for both of these, but WARM has red tones in the hair, is often freckly and looks good in cream and autumn tints: browns, warm oranges, also lime green. By contrast COOL can wear bright white, darker colours and cool versions of pink, green and blue. Our final two volunteers compared those in CLEAR and SOFT groups. CLEAR has dark hair and light bright eyes (an Irish look) and pairs of colours with a strong contrast such as bright turquoise with deep purple really brought out the eyes. SOFT colouring requires a more muted effect otherwise the person is lost within the striking clothes; the benefits of moving from black and white to cream and charcoal was demonstrated and navy with sky blue and warm pink with brown looked great too. Most of the volunteers told us they already wore some of the colours that suit them but avoided others and Sarah explained colours also need to match our personality - quiet people do not usually wear loud colours! Colours that are new to us can be introduced over several years, starting with a small amount such as a bit of T-shirt visible under a jumper or jacket or the new colour could be within the pattern of the fabric or an accessory such as jewellery or handbag. It was hard to draw the evening to a close as there was so much interest and participation and when the talk closed many people went to the front to try out colour swatches for themselves. 14 Ladbroke Photography Club Jackie West

At our April meeting a number of our members showed us examples of their work and explained how they got each photo. The evening started with some of Edward's pictures and he told us the trick of getting the eager attention of a labrador was by getting down to its level and holding a stick in his other hand. Jennie had some lovely local views - the consequence of being in the right place at the right time and also great picture of a dog mid-flight across a jump which was the result of many attempts, luckily her dog was very co-operative. Andy's shots included a wonderful abstract beach-scape with complex patterns and shadows in the sand. Mike took us overseas with both pictures as seen and then seamless joining of two shots of a vineyard sign to get the details of the sign without a cluttered background. Tony presented sequences of pictures from his recent holiday, showing the effect of alternative viewpoints and framing; included in his set were historic, and now unrepeatable, photos of the Christchurch cathedral tower the night before it was destroyed in the earthquake! Jana rounded off the evening with a range of photos including a wonderful shot from her kitchen window - this is the current picture of the month on the Ladbroke village website: ladbroke-pc.gov.uk. Our next meeting is on Tuesday May 3rd in Ladbroke Village Hall, starting at 7.30pm; visitors are welcome. Please bring with you two or three prints each on any subject as we will start the evening by choosing the photos to present in our exhibition at the fete next month. Then we will have PQT, the photographic equivalent of Gardeners' Question Time so come along with your questions and we will do our best to answer them. For more information about the club email: jackieszone- [email protected]. General Section

Ladbroke Fete - 18th June As the date gets nearer, it is time to start thinking about how you can help make it a great event. Can you make, bake or grow something for the home-made produce stall? Do you have a gazebo you can lend us for the day? Why not convert some old clothes into a scarecrow for the competition (a good activity for the kids or with grandchildren during half- term). Want to get rid of a good but unwanted present - then offer it for the raffle. Or clear some space with donations to the 2nd hand book stall, 15 white elephant or crockery smash. Most important of all, do come along on the day with your friends and family and enjoy yourselves. For more information about the fete and offers of gazebos or help please email [email protected] or contact Graham on 815196 or Jackie on 810331.

The Bell Inn, Ladbroke Viv Leung and Chris Scanlon have been the Licensees at The Bell for six months, having previously been at the Millwright Arms in Warwick. Between them they have many years experience in the pub trade with Viv having first worked at Warwick University Students Union Bar whilst studying there. They were attracted to The Bell as the pub has good facilities including a comfortable modern style restaurant and, of course, Ladbroke is a lovely village. The couple very quickly brought life back into the pub after it had been shut for a few months, firstly undertaking some refurbishment of the building with redecoration outside and alterations inside. The former snug has been knocked through into the main bar area. Then they have run some very successful Theme nights; with Chris being Scottish he was well placed to stage a four course Burns Night celebration. This was followed by an evening to mark the Chinese New Year, with Viv having been born and brought up in Hong Kong she no doubt ensured this was an authentic event. Future events are being planned for the summer which will include a Father’s Day lunch. Viv and Chris say they have been made very welcome in Ladbroke and they have supported a number of events taking place in the Village Hall providing both the bar and food. They describe their menu as traditional pub fare with meals all freshly cooked using, where possible, local ingredients. Their butcher is in Kenilworth, fishmonger in Leamington, 16 vegetables are delivered from Rugby and their eggs come all the way from the Winkfield’s farm! Items on the A la Carte menu, range from sausage and mash or chicken and mushroom pie at £7.95 to rib eye steak at £15.95; desserts are from £4.95. They currently have a popular lunchtime offer running from Tuesday to Fridays between 12.00noon and 3.00pm. From a special menu one course is £5.00, 2 courses £7.50 and 3 courses is £8.95. A Sunday Roast is also available, two courses £11.95 or three courses for £13.95. Behind the bar, beers from the Warwickshire Beer Company based in Cubbington are served; at weekends this is supplemented by the St Austell Brewery’s Tribute bitter. Lagers, wines and spirits together with tea and coffee are also available. The pub opening times are Tuesday to Saturday 12.30pm to 11.00pm and Sunday 12.30pm to 8.00pm with food service times being 12.30pm to 9.00pm and Sunday 12.30pm to 8.00pm. The pub does not open on Mondays. To contact the Bell, their number is 813562, their website is www.bellinnwarwickshire.co.uk With spring having made such a fantastic start a visit to The Bell is well worthwhile and if the sun is shining there is a lovely beer garden to enjoy as well. John Holden

Ladbroke Village Hall Millennium Club The results of the draw for March were: £80 Lesley Loveday £50 Moira Brierley £25 Derek Batty £10 Geoff Timms £10 Mike Connon £10 Catherine Spence £10 Richard Walker £10 Pat Kennedy

Janet Goldson

DATES FOR INCLUSION IN THE HARBURY DIARY PLEASE TO: LINDA RIDGLEY - TEL. 612792. 17 Harbury Parish Council Linda Ridgley

Official minutes can be viewed in the Library, on the Parish Council website www.harbury-pc.gov.uk or obtained from the Parish Clerk Tel: 01926 614646 Tim Lockley runs a tight ship. Most Parish Council meetings now finish by 9pm. So it is a sign of the scrutiny Councillors gave to plans for the Library that we were there until well past 9.30pm. Tim is “double-hatted” in this. He is Chair of both the Parish and the Library Steering Group and had asked himself (and fellow Cllrs) to underwrite by up to £4,000 a year, the running costs of the Wight School for the next two and a half years. This he explained would give the Steering Group time to try out plans to run a café and other ideas to raise income. He stressed that the £4K would be for running costs alone (rates, power, cleaning etc). Capital costs would be covered by a “legacy” grant from the County Council, which would also be responsible for repairs under the lease “dilapidations” clause. The Parochial Church Council is responsible for the Wight School which is owned by the Diocese of Coventry, but if the building ceases to have an educational use it can be sold, in which case the proceeds go to the County Council! To add to this web of complexity Tim now wants the Steering Group to organise the running of the Library and a fund-raising operation to preserve the facility. Parish Councillors were concerned to determine just who would be the beneficiaries; obviously the community if the Library, Pre-school and Scout Hut were saved, but also the PCC and Diocese if their Charity and its assets were preserved and enhanced. However if the venture failed then the County scooped the pot! Close scrutiny from Finance Chairman Tony Mancell and the rest of the crew revealed the Parish is allowed to support a Community Building; that repairs to the roof could cost £70K; and that the Charity that runs the Wight School is eligible for a rate reduction. There was, however, surprise at the past neglect of the building by the Diocese. Despite concerns that the Library Steering Group would do all the work and not have any legal stake in the building it was agreed to underwrite the running costs for 2½ years by up to £4K a year. Tim was holding out hopes that answers to a question on this in the Parish Plan would endorse their decision. 18 Planning Stratford granted permission for timber-framed buildings at 19 Mill Street to replace an existing garage and at Hazebrook, The Pound for an art studio. The Parish Council made no representation on the time extension to plans for Stapenhall Farm or the agricultural barn planned for Chesterton House Farm. They commented that plans for Churchlands Farm would substantially increase vehicle movements and they noted comments from SDC on preliminary plans for Dovehouse Autos and are confirming that they too would not be happy without car parking being provided on site. District Cllr Beverley Mann reported that an in-vessel anaerobic digester planned for Kingston Grange could increase traffic flows along Butt Lane and the PC would make clear their opposition to that. The Councillors listened to the concerns of a Chapel Street resident who is faced with having an extension built nearby which would take light from their cottage. They considered the plans inappropriate and an over- development and Cllrs agreed to make a comment about the potential impact of restriction of light to the property. Cllr Summers gave her personal opinion that over-extension of village homes was harmful for both the architectural and social fabric of Harbury (although she did not put it in exactly those words). Nuisance Once again youths are causing problems in the Constance Drive area and around the Playing Fields and Village Hall. The post securing the gate to the Fields has been stolen. A private hedge has been breached and litter in general has increased in the area. The Police will be asked to patrol. Buses County Councillor Bob Stevens reported that WCC has received an extra £100,000 for public transport and will do what it can to preserve services. Properties Cllr Hancock said the flooding of the BMX track had been solved by the lack of rain for the last two months. She was determined the PC would finally deal with the staked memorials in the Burial Grounds and she would provide them with recommendations on action. The Clerk informed the Parish that SDC was to cut its repayment to the Parish for verge cutting in the village by £250 a year. Use of the Playing Fields for the Carnival on 11th June, the Junior Football Club for a Tournament in June or July and by CAMRA for 2nd and 3rd September were all approved with the proviso that any damage should be made good. 19 Next Meetings Annual Parish Meeting in Village Hall 7.30pm on Thursday 12th May with speakers from the Library Service. Parish Council’s Annual Meeting 7.30pm in Village Hall on Tuesday 24th May.

Harbury Parish Council Quarterly Report - April 2011 In the past three months the Parish Council has:  Organised for the resurfacing of the basketball court and the replacement of the picnic table  Facilitated the update of the Parish plan  Supported a new business plan for the library  Continued to replace old concrete streetlights with metal ones  Made a grant to the Wight School to enable the installation of a disabled toilet  Continued to support the modernisation of the Village Hall Tim Lockley Parish Council Chairman

Harbury Parish Council Annual Parish Meeting Please come along to the Annual Parish Meeting on Thursday 12th May at 7.30pm in Harbury Village Hall. This year, as Harbury Library is threatened with closure, we have a presentation by Warwickshire County Councillor and Libraries’ Portfolio Holder, Peter Butlin. Peter will also be accompanied by Kushal Birla, Head of Customer Service and Communications at Warwickshire County Council and by Linda Smith who is Head of Libraries. They will all be available to answer your questions on what can be done to save Harbury Library and what the future for the Library Service in Warwickshire is likely to be so, please do come along and find out from them what the future holds. This is also your chance to put questions to your Parish, District and County Councillors. Light refreshments available; everyone welcome. We hope to see you there. Nicola Thompson, Clerk Harbury Parish Council

20 Library Roadshow – Drop-in Session Residents might also be interested to know that there will be a “Library Roadshow” on the future of the Library Service at Harbury Library on 19th May, 10.00am – 1.00pm. Please try to drop in and find out more – particularly if you haven’t been able to come along to the Annual Parish Meeting. Harbury Parish Council

Councillor’s Corner Bev Mann

Saturday 14th May - Venue – Outside the Post Office, Chapel Street, Harbury. A “Councillors Corner” session will be held between 10.00am and 11.30am. These useful sessions are for our elected Council representatives, County, District and Parish Councillors to meet and answer any concerns/ questions from residents in a more informal and relaxed setting than at Council meetings. If there is a question which cannot be answered on the day, Councillors will follow this up and get back to the resident. The following month a report on issues which are a real concern to residents are collated for the Village News. If you are unable to attend on this day and have any Council queries, please call: District Cllr Bev Mann: 614977 County Cllr Bob Stevens: 814031 Parish Council Chairman, Tim Lockley: 614532

Harbury Society Linda Ridgley

We were only a select few for the Archive Evening which was in one way a shame, because you missed a treat, but those who did attend had plenty of time to study the records on view. 21 Our grateful thanks go to Celia Barrett and Nigel Chapman who provided a large amount of the historical information and photographs and to Eileen Dronfield who brought along her family tree. Nigel showed some of the material that has been collected by the school over many years. It is all beautifully presented and catalogued. If the Heritage Group succeeds in its aim to raise enough funding to set up an Archive Room at the School more people will be able to access it all there and ultimately it will be available to everyone on the web. Celia’s photographs and other records were fascinating. The research into the life of the Rev. William Wight was very thorough although Celia is frustrated that there is a period before he became a priest when she can find no trace of him in England. She thinks he travelled abroad. But for me the most interesting of her records was the recently acquired Account Book of the Harbury Pig Club! The Club was in existence before the War and continued into the Sixties. It was in effect, as many were, a mutual support organisation. Families paid into the club, purchased pigs and were assured that if their animal needed veterinarian treatment the Club would pay for this. The family was also covered for “the death of pig” - £8 seems to have been the going rate. Our next events: 21st May - 10am Warmington pub walk 11th June - 2.30pm Carnival Day 19th June - 2.30pm Guided Tour of Bishops Nature Reserve 5th July - 7pm Jean Hadley’s Farm Tour, with tea and biscuits. Harbury Women’s Institute Jeanne Beaumont

We have enjoyed some lovely weather in April and hope it continues for all village activities. By now, our coffee morning has taken place and I know it will have been well supported. Many thanks to all who came, donated and to the helpers. The watering of our tree is most important by members who are passing by (with watering cans). A proposed trip to Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens is being arranged in September. Mary Thompson, our delegate, gave an excellent report on the Annual Federation Meeting which was held for the first time at Stoneleigh Park. 22 Very nice atmosphere with some market stalls. Members raved over the parking which was a great change from Leamington. Of course, the extra bonus was the wonderful weather otherwise there might have been some wet members eating their lunch outside. The first of two main speakers was Dan Byles, MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth who was a soldier for nine years in Cosova, Bosnia and Iraq. He left the army in 2005 and decided to go into politics and was elected by 54 votes. He thinks it is an exciting time to enter government and a whole new language to learn. Should think so after being entered in the Double Guinness Book of Records and trekking to the North Pole with his mother. Then we had Pru Leith, born in South Africa, a restaurateur, T.V cook, novelist and campaigner. How does she do so much? Mostly does things by getting other people to do it. Energy. Capacity to be interested in things – being bored is a habit. She has done a lot of successful things because she did not know any better. Then she told us about all the jobs she had done and her experiences. What a woman. So, it was a full day and members are looking forward to next year. Thank you, Mary. Chris Rutherford was our speaker on “Living with Asthma”. Unless you have contact at some time with an asthmatic, one never really knows much about it and this talk really explained so well. It can be a frightening experience being breath restricted. Town fumes can cause asthma but the country is not so perfect either. Flowers, traffic pollution, black mould in houses, humidity, being very cold, lung infection, stress, cats and dogs and house mites are just a few causes. Chris has had asthma most of her life but still played plenty of games at school. She was bullied like a lot of children are but learnt to ride it. She says the inhalers are brilliant and nobody, especially children, should ever be without theirs. The schools should know how to behave should a child suffer an attack. Normally they can do all sport. There are even Kick Asthma Adventure Holidays. Chris told and showed us so many things to look out for – she was great. Next Meeting: Thursday 12th May, 7.45pm in the Tom Hauley Room – “Resolutions”.

23 Harbury Theatre Group Keith Hayes

Another successful production has been completed and on Monday 9th May our AGM is in the Shakespeare (8.00 pm). This time last year I had little responsibility to HTG and few worries. Mostly I had to turn up to rehearsals on time and learn my words; after that it was pure fun just to be part of a dedicated and winning team, but that was soon to change. In one fell swoop and for various reasons we lost three very good actors including our Chairperson. To a small group like ours this was a hammer blow. It could have been the end of us and for a little while some people thought it was. However, here we are, eleven months on and still going. In that eleven months we have produced a very successful Pantomime and have just staged our spring production. I have to say “well done” to a very hard working team. In any other village but Harbury I am not sure if we could have done this but our appeals for help were met with an unbelievable response. We recruited new members, we enticed back old members. I have to tell you Harbury Theatre Group is on its way up again. However, we now have to keep the momentum going. We still need more new members, we still need the old hands to give us their support and time. If all the work falls on a small team, some will drift away again. We need to spread the load. Even if you don't want to act there are lots of jobs that need doing. We need a front of house team with the ideas and enthusiasm to create a warm welcoming atmosphere when our audience arrive. We need an artistic team with ideas for set design, and who are handy with a paint brush. We need people to help with the props, collecting them together and getting them to the correct place on stage at the right time. We need all these people to keep us on the right track and to make us a group to be proud of. We also need an audience. If you have no desire to be part of a production, why not just come along and watch? We have put on some good productions and I am sure we will continue. It can be a good, fun night out with a sense of occasion that you don't get from watching the TV. So, as I have said at the start, it is our AGM on the 9th May. Open to all. Do please come if you can. We then have to plan our November production and you could be part of that team. You can contact me on 613488 or email on [email protected]. 24 Folk Club Deb Ellis & Des Patalong

Ooh arr me hearties! What a fantastic Folk Club (number 317) we all had, sailing the world’s seas and oceans on board the ship Dog Inn. Tonight’s theme was Songs of the Seas but nobody was forced to walk the plank due to stretching the theme or in fact, ignoring it completely. Roger the cabin boy (aka Debs) began the voyage with some choice facts about the sea and the oceans to get the crew ready for the trip ahead of us. Then, as we began to leave port, Captain Des sang us a song he’d been much taken with after hearing the Reverend Kenneth Loveless sing it many years ago, “General Taylor”. Maureen and Janny (wearing a t-shirt with another day, another bay written on it) then brought us an Artisan song “I’ll Sail No More” and for their second, “April Morning”, a song Maureen dedicated to Celia, Margaret and Peter. Next up was Rik who apparently had been overwhelmed with the choice of maritime songs that he could offer us. He told us a story where, as a lad, he could go to a field in Dagenham (where he was born) and you could see big ships sailing through the middle of it. This was because the Thames River navigated through it. So with this, Rik sang “London River”. For his second, he sang the Rod Felton song “The Mermaid”. Andrew Patrick, our on-board linguist or polyglot, sang two songs in foreign tongues. His first song was in Russian, about life being helped along by singing a cheerful song, and the next in German, which had a catchy chorus line of vida-vida-vit-boom-boom!! This song featured Christopher Columbus and the King of Spain, showing us that time at school can be well spent! Peter and Liz Bones brought us a European sub-theme and sang about the Ladies of Spain (they decided not to sing the chorus!) and a song by William Delf, a fisherman in Grimsby circa 1889. This song, “Three Score and Ten”, was about boats and lives lost at sea. The second leg of our ocean crossing was begun by Debs who presented two self-penned poems – firstly, “Baptism of Fire” secondly, “The Ocean”. Des sang “Steam Packet” and Ted and Sue Crum sang “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” followed by Ted singing “Come All Your Gallant Sailor Lads”, a song about going by boat and then deciding that the train was better! Peter Mason brought along his daughter, Jess. They entertained us with a Steve Knightley song, “Man of War”, and a song by Johnny Flynn called “Barnacled Song”. Jess played both her mandolin and ukulele with confidence. Don Thompson from Brackley Folk came along and sang a 25 song by Richard Wadkins called “Ellen Vannin”. This song was about a boat that sank in view of the harbour of Liverpool Bay. The boat belonged to the Isle of Man Company and sank in the Irish Sea. His next offering was a song called “Johnny Bowline” and this too was set in Liverpool. The Harvesters sang “My Johnny is a Shoemaker” about going to sea. Their second song, a self-penned one, called “To the Ends of the Earth” was about surviving a sea quake. Bank of Folk then took over the stage area. Whilst they were settling in, Janny sang a quick song in French about little boats. Then we were entertained with the tunes “Westering Home” and “The South Wind”. This was an excellent end to the second half. The third half was opened by Ren who boarded us on the final leg of our cruise; she sang a Steeleye Span song called “Drowning at Sea” and her second song was all about a boat lost at sea. Peter McDonald sang a Barry Dransfield song called “I Once Was a Phisherman” sorry I mean a Fisherman! This had a chorus line of “they won’t let us go to sea anymore”. His second was a Sid Kipper song about hairdressing ships called “Combing the Spanish Main”. His chorus had a hey and a ho and a wash and go! Richard, who was here for our 300th, sang a song by Bill Meek from Grimsby that had a gentle sea theme to it and it was about his father. His second was a song by Stan Graham (who does workshops in France) and this was called “Across the Sea”. Ted and Peter sang a John Connolly song about the last of the deep sea librarians. They also sang the song “Fiddlers Green”. As we were sailing into port after our epic sailing adventure, Des finished off the evening with a sea shanty called “The Farewell Shanty”. The raffle raised £55 for the RNLI. www.rnli.org.uk. The next folk club will be held on 5th May and it will be run by Janny and Doug, the theme being “Fun and Frivolity”!! Harbury Junior’s Football Malcolm Tanner

Harbury U7's produced their best ever football when playing away at Tysoe. The team played three 20 minute thrilling matches with the results being: Tysoe 2- 3 Harbury, Tysoe 0 -1 Harbury, Tysoe 0-2 Harbury. It was not so much that Harbury won all three matches but the way the players performed both individually and as a collective team. 26 The team defended well with some strong play from Josh W, Howie F and Aiden K. Jo C and Charlie C scored two goals each, Serina P showed real determination to fend off three players to score the winning goal in the second match and man of the matches went to Kieron C for some classic wing play, two footed dribbling skills and then passing to his team mates. The players were rewarded with hot dogs provided by the friendly Tysoe folk and cakes from the Harbury coach in recognition of an enjoyable morning’s football. Harbury Under 6's v Byfield 9th April Harbury Under 6's played their second fixture of the season when we entertained Byfield Tigers. It was evident within the first few minutes that Harbury were far too strong for Byfield notching up a 6 -1 win in the first of 4 x 7-a-side games. Substitutions were made for each game and in the second session, Harbury very quickly ran up a 7-1 win. As a result of Harbury's superiority, we decided to withdraw a player so it was 6 vs 7 to try and balance the matches. In the third session Harbury won a very close contest 1-0 and in the final match a sympathetic referee awarded Byfield a dubious penalty to produce a 1-1 score line. Ben H won the man of the match award having scored a total of 7 goals despite playing in goal for 1 match and being substituted in two other games. Harbury played very energetically, competitively and displayed a real desire to want the ball with noticeable performances from Finn M, Jack K, Harry and Jamie W. Steve Darby Byfield under 11s v Harbury Rockets under 10s - (Friendly 5-3 to Byfield) It was a very hot day and the Rockets were full of beans; they knew we had set up a friendly against an older team but were not distracted in any way. As we watched Byfield warm up we laughed about how we should give them a goal advantage before we started. This wasn't necessary as within 8 minutes they were 4 up; the coaches Woody and Marcus thought this was going to be a thrashing to the Rockets of some magnitude but with this special team they never know when to give up. After the first 20 minutes it was still 4-0 but the coaches had a chance to talk to the players and, after a pep talk, the flowing, passing football materialised and we quickly started to match Byfield. After 40 minutes the scoreline was 4-2 with the first ever goal for the terminator himself Finn B with his dad going wild on the sidelines. The second goal came from a well worked move with Riley B scoring. The eventual score was 5-3 to Byfield, the third coming from the impressive Harry W. 27 There were numerous other chances to both sides but our players created great football against an older team. At the end, the coaches agreed that this was by far the best match we had produced, not only in character, but sheer bravery against older more physical boys. Our hats go off to each and every player that played - you did the Rockets proud. And onto our final match where we will have a lot of confidence from this match. We would also like to thank Alex for making a one off special appearance. Harbury Rockets 4 v Tysoe Saxons 2 It was the last game of the season, AND WHAT A GAME. Tysoe Saxons were undefeated for the past three seasons but we humbled their full strength squad at our fortress Harbury home. The day was sunny and warm but the start for the Harbury coaches couldn't have got off to a worse start; two of the eleven picked were injured so couldn't make the game and with no time to call in any replacements we were playing with one sub. The players were still motivated and showed their presence on the field; we had lost to this team 7-2 earlier in the season but not today. From the first whistle the Rockets covered every blade of grass and worked incredibly hard for one another. With Coach Woody making carefully placed rolling substitutes, the players kept their strength. The Rockets not only matched the best team in the league but propelled themselves to the upper levels of football, totally leaving Tysoe in their wake. Ethan opened the scoring with a thunderous shot, Riley B scored two goals with the other coming from Tim B. Our hats go off to all the players and their parents for the incredible support you have shown to the cause this year - you make our jobs as coaches much easier. We will be entering the Rockets into a few competitions over the summer period. Marcus Birch and Richard Woodfield U14's Harbury v Cubbington With both sides having won one of each of the two previous matches, Harbury were keen to use home advantage and fully utilise the full squad of sixtenn players available on the day. Harbury took an early lead through a well taken goal from Kane H, but in a close contest, Cubbington scored two goals to go into half time with a 2-1 lead. In the second half, Harbury raised their game with Thomas C having an outstanding game along with Toby and Matt dominating midfield which 28 resulted in Matt J and Will A both scoring two goals to win the match comfortably 5-2. St Peter's Celtic v Harbury Harbury continued where they left off the week before, and with confidence high, went into an early lead with a goal from Will A. With Matt J having a typical barnstorming game in midfield, the opposition could not cope with his energy and commitment which resulted in two goals for himself and making another for Will A. The icing on the cake was a spectacular overhead kick from Jamie H which enabled Harbury to go into half time with a 5-0 lead. In the second half, credit to St Peter's Celtic, who despite being outplayed showed plenty of spirit and well deserved their two goals. Harbury continued to push forward but lost the fluency of the first half. However they were still able to score a further two goals with Matt J completing his hat trick and Sam H scoring his first goal for the club with a spectacular long range shot into the roof of the net to make the final score 7 -2. Harbury displayed some of the football of which they are capable, and the objective is to consistently perform as a unit with passing and movement which should stand them in good stead for next season. Malcolm Tanner and Neil Murray Harbury Tennis Club Colin and Sue Mercer

The Club held its traditional “Cheque Book” tournament to welcome the new season in glorious sunshine, squeezing it in between the end of the extended winter league season and the start of the summer fixtures. Tournament organiser Peter Walshe kept us all very busy in the round robin stage, with Sara Peters and David Bristow overcoming Caroline Morland and Paul Crowton in a closely contested final (see photograph right).

29 The winter season seemed to drag on and on but was finally completed on 3rd April with the Men’s Doubles final match against Stratford. Unfortunately due to late withdrawals we were only able to field one pair, so immediately forfeited two of the four rubbers. However, Geoff Prince and Marcus Sharpe rose to the challenge and won both their matches to secure an invaluable draw that took Harbury out of the relegation position to retain the Club’s Division 5 status! The floodlit team had already been relegated to Division 4 before the last two matches. In the first one at Middleton Cheney, Caroline Morland and Sue Panton had an excellent first set winning it 6-1 but were pegged back by the home ladies in the second to halve the rubber. Geoff Prince and Colin Mercer lost both sets in a close rubber, giving the home team a narrow lead going into the mixed doubles which were both halved to give Middleton Cheney a 5-3 win. For the final game against Hook Norton Caroline was the “continuity” and was joined by Sara Peters, Keith Thompson and Marcus Sharpe. The changes certainly worked as the team ended on a high note with a 5-3 win! The summer fixtures have already started with teams in the Banbury Summer league Division 4 (Mixed) and Division 3 of the South Warwickshire & District Summer league (Men’s), sponsored by Widney Sports. In the Banbury League Hook Norton were again the visitors and Caroline, Sara, and Keith were joined by Eira Owen, Steve Stark and Colin Mercer. In a very close match it was all square going into the final three rubbers with Harbury winning two to get a 5-4 win. In the men’s doubles Geoff Prince, Marcus Sharpe, Daniel Morley and Adam Crossling took on Alcester in the first match. As in the final winter match Geoff and Marcus were in top form and won both their rubbers to secure a well earned draw. On the Junior front the Club is increasing its involvement in competitions. In the South Warwickshire Summer League Competition for boys aged twelve and under, Joseph Gray and Luke Marsden made their debuts in the second round of Pool A matches at Snitterfield. It was unfortunate their first match was against the more experienced and top seeds Henley-in-Arden and they lost 1-6, but gained in confidence in a narrow 4- 6 defeat against Snitterfield and were unlucky to lose 6-7 in their final match against Claverdon. The Club hosted its first inter club Mini Red tournament, organised by Lewis Jay, which attracted players from a number of local clubs, even one from Huntingdon who was visiting his aunt! The visit proved very worthwhile as he was unbeaten and won the tournament! The junior programme caters for children between the ages of 5 and 16 and the summer sessions started on 2 May. In addition we’re running 30 Spring and Summer Camps, led by Head Coach James Marsh ([email protected] tel: 07867 785213). The first was during the Easter holiday with others arranged between 31st May to 3rd June and in the summer holidays on Mondays to Fridays starting on 25th July until 19th August. The Club is also pleased to offer from Monday 9th May until 18th July a new weekly initiative for 3 and 4 year old children, “Tiny Tots Tennis” run by coach Sue Panton ([email protected] tel: 07979691471). Finally, we held our AGM in April and the “old guard” was re-elected. That’s Colin Mercer (Chairman), Mary Thompson (Secretary), Paul Crowton (Treasurer) supported by committee members Eira Owen, Sara Peters, Sue Mercer (Junior Co-ordinator), and Peter Walshe. One welcome addition is Lewis Jay, who has this season been given the position of Junior Competition Organiser and has a level 1 coaching qualification. Lewis will be representing the views of our Junior members and will considerably reduce the average age of the committee! The club welcomes players of all standard for social and/or competitive league tennis. For details contact Club Chairman, Colin Mercer on 01926 613284, [email protected]. Harbury Twinning Association Colin Humphreys

On Saturday the 2nd April we held our coffee morning in the Tom Hauley Room, which was a great success. Our thanks go to all who helped on the day, and to all who attended. We used the coffee morning as an opportunity to present the Village Hall Committee with a cheque for £1300 which were the proceeds from the Jazz Evening that we held in March to raise money towards their restoration fund. Our major social activity of the month was the Dinner and Skittles evening that we held at the Navigation Inn, Wootton Wawen. This was real fun and a good time was had by all. Our thanks go to Margaret McDonald for organising the event, and to Tony Thomas who organised the skittles teams and kept score.

Harbury Toddler Group Jemima Balcam

Finally we are back on site at our old, and improved, venue, The Wight School. The building work is complete and the toilets and kitchen are now more easily accessible. 31 We got straight back into it, with some new toys and lots of craft activities. As well as making cress men and Easter baskets we had a lovely Easter Egg hunt in the sunshine, which as usual started sooner and was over faster than expected – they have eagle eyes those toddlers. We’ve been playing outside lots as we all missed that while the room was closed, and we have even done some of our singing outside. In preparation for our Coffee Morning at the Tom Hauley Room on 21st May, and the plant sale we are planning, all the children have been enthusiastically planting seeds and they are enjoying caring for them. To get your plants do please just come along on the day. Also any donations for the raffle, or cake or plant stalls would be very gratefully received, do just drop them in on the day or to our weekly sessions. If you would like to come along to the Toddler Group, we run every Monday from 9.30am until 11.15am at the Wight School (behind the library), and cater for children from birth to school age. We open throughout school holidays apart from Bank Holidays and older siblings are very welcome to come along too! Harbury Pre-School Staff & Committee

Well, what a start we had to April! Our thanks must go firstly to Terry Grey and his team and to Paul and Jacqui Quinney, all of whom kept the fantastic new building on track and completed by the very tight deadline of 31st March. No sooner had the finishing touches been made to the building and it had passed inspection, than the shelves for the new resource room, kindly donated by Tony Jackson, were being put together by Steve Conway, David Thompson and Ed Wilson. Then an army of volunteers were mustered the same afternoon to sort out and clean resources and equipment and transfer it all to the new shelving. We are very grateful to ALL who helped to get our new building up and running in time for the official opening on 9th April. Meanwhile, Pre-School’s children ably demonstrated their adaptability by 32 moving happily between Pre-School and the Scout Hut and dealing with all the changes without hesitation. They were delighted when they were at last able to see and use the new facilities which include, amongst other things, new accessible toilets and kitchen which have already made a huge difference. As well as enjoying the excitement of moving into the new building, the children continued with their theme of buildings and “our world”, making dens in the outdoor play area and using blocks indoors. They made tracks with cars in paint in the builders’ tray and used the larger vehicles outside. They also looked at different shapes, working with circular, square or triangular paper and creating similar shapes with paint, crayons and collage items. We are very grateful to the Hereburgh Morris Dancers who came and danced for us. They then demonstrated the steps and movements, encouraging the children to join in. The children were very enthusiastic and they all enjoyed the experience, especially when it came to using the sticks for a dance! As Easter approached, the children were delighted to make Easter nests out of shredded wheat and chocolate and were even more thrilled to find that, when the nests were left in the kitchen to set, they came back filled with mini chocolate eggs and a chick, ready to take home! For further information about Harbury Pre-School, please e-mail [email protected] or phone 07939 122087. The web site can be found at www.harburypre-school.org.uk

33

Nursery School Staff & Committee

Windmills Nursery is situated in the grounds of Harbury Primary School and has the benefit of its own Forest School and qualified Forest School Leader. We are open all day between school hours and take children from the age of two years. If you would like to register a place for your child you can email us at [email protected], visit our web site at www.windmillsnursery.co.uk or call Tina/Sally on 07906 519148. Afternoon spaces are available now with limited spaces on morning sessions from September 2011 and bookings now being taken for September 2012. A big thank you to Steve Lines who has built a new step for the nursery and also put up wonderful new nursery equipment purchased with our grant. Thanks also to our Forest School leader who organised for the bushes in the woodland to be trimmed and to Nigel Chapman who donated a raised bed to be used for planting. Windmills Royal Wedding On Thursday 28th April the children of Windmills Nursery celebrated a wedding complete with brides and grooms, bridesmaids and pageboys. The ceremony was followed by speeches and a magnificent banquet which was enjoyed by all. The children dressed up in wedding attire; Sophie’s mother made her a stunning wedding dress. During the celebratory day, the children:  Learned how people celebrate weddings in different countries.  Painted and drew brides and bridegrooms. 34

 Enjoyed role play with a wedding theme.  Decorated an archway with flowers.  Enjoyed multi-cultural food at a special wedding banquet.  Listened to classical music including the Wedding March. Some thoughts from the children: Sophie – “Mummy made my dress and I kept saying is it ready all the time because I wanted to wear it. At a wedding the bride wears a veil and a beautiful dress and a necklace and bracelet. She gets married in a castle or a church. Joseph – “That was the bestest day ever. I loved it at the wedding. I went to a wedding and we had a dance. The bride wore a pretty dress and the man had a black jacket and a tie and a flower. There was a party outside. Reuben – “I loved the music at the wedding. Evelyn – “You put flags up for weddings. My Grandpa and Nanny have put theirs up. The brides wear white dresses and carry flowers and there are bridesmaids. Evie – “They go to Church in a carriage. It has horses. Brides wear 35 dresses and they sparkle. It is the Royal’s Wedding and they are getting married in a big Church”. It was a wonderful day at Windmills Nursery for the children and staff to remember. People who Help Us Thank you to Giorgio’s parents Keith and Pina for arranging the visit from Mr Badwan who is a consultant in neurology. He explained to the children about his job in neurology and showed them his doctor’s black case and stethoscope. Freya – “I can hear your heart. It went bump, bump, bump. Giorgio – “a doctor makes you feel better, a fireman puts fires out and a policeman takes people away when they are naughty and rude”. Continuing the theme about people who help us, the children also had a visit from Craig Youngman, a fire officer and his colleague. The children all took turns operating the fire extinguisher; thank you to Craig for organising this. Molly – “he squirts fire with a hose and wears a helmet”. Spring & Forest School: The excitement during April was the hatching of baby chicks in an incubator at Nursery. Sophie enjoyed watching the numbers counting down to when they hatched. The children also visited Mrs Houghton’s garden to see her baby rabbits. The children found out that they were lionheads and were 4 weeks old and had to stay with their mummy until they were 6 weeks old. In the monthly visit to Church to the Toddlers’ Service, the children were told the story of the lost sheep. They then got to meet a real lamb which they stroked. During forest school, the children have been making dens. Emily – “I’m making a den. You put the sticks in first and then you put a blanket over it. Then you can hide in it”. Dates for Your Diaries: Half Term: The Nursery will close for half term on Friday 27th May at 12.05pm and reopen again on Monday 6th June at 9.05am. Summer Ball: Windmills Nursery will be hosting their famous annual Summer Ball on Saturday 25th June from 8pm to midnight in Harbury Village Hall. The theme this year is Black Tie and Bollywood and there will be bubbly on arrival followed by a 3 course traditional Bangladeshi and Indian banquet. RetroEvolution will be doing the music this year and there will be a bar, disco and raffle. Tickets are £20 and can be purchased from Cana at Bank Chambers or Tracey Pettipher on 01926 614923. 36 Harbury Primary School P.T.A. PTA Committee

Everyone Welcome! Father’s Day Beer Walk Our annual PTA Beer Walk will be held on Father’s Day, Sunday 19th June, this year. We will be following our traditional route around the village and out to Chesterton, where Slaughterhouse Beer, soft drinks, rolls and crisps will be available. Full details to be published here and around the village next month. Having worked up an appetite, you are then invited to our… Father’s Day Family BBQ We will be holding a Father’s Day BBQ at the Old New Inn on Sunday 19th June with food being available from 5pm onwards. Both Beer Walkers and non-Beer Walkers welcome. Summer Fayre Please make a note in your diaries that our Summer Fayre is being held on Saturday 9th July this year, 12 noon – 3pm. We are pleased to announce that both Harbury Choir School and Harbury Ukulele Group will be performing – it’s going to be fabulous! 1st Harbury Guides & Scouts Jim Ward

Awards BBQ 9th April 2011 Scouting’s motto of ‘being prepared’ was certainly in mind when we decided to organize this event at a time designed to gather as many of us as possible. Expecting anything the weather can normally muster in April (snow, sun, wind, hail etc) we set up our new mess tent for shelter, and to give people a chance to view it. In the event we were blessed with wonderful sunshine and something akin to a summer’s evening, no doubt a factor in getting a great response in attendance, along with the delicious sausages and drinks! The format for the occasion followed traditional lines with presentations being made for sections in the group by the leaders, in which they detailed all the huge variety of activities they’d being doing throughout the year, and in some cases making awards. 37 Cubs took the novel approach of getting six of their members to present, who themselves were subsequently presented with their Silver Award (the highest a cub can achieve) by guests from the District Joanne Bramston and Sandra Broom. They also awarded Mike Barrett (Cub Leader) his Five Year service Award and County Network Commissioner Award. GASS Chairman Mark Clifton outlined the role of GASS in fund raising and looking after the Scout Hut, plus he also detailed some of the major project spends (mess tent, trailer and new canoe shed doors) that had happened in the last twelve months. Rachel Brown, GASS Treasurer, followed with a brief summary of the state of the Group’s accounts which we were pleased to hear are good. Due to the recent purchase of a covered (rigid white plastic type) trailer for group use, GASS had run a ‘trailer design scheme’ with the members to see who could come up with the best ideas. There were a lot of entries with a wide variety of different designs but in the end four winners William Rea, Josh Hill, Rebecca Dimmock and Charlotte Frednt were chosen and Mark Clifton presented them with Easter Eggs. If all goes to plan their designs will be viewable on the trailer in the future, budget and practicalities notwithstanding! Yours truly, who had kicked off proceedings with a brief overview which included a big thanks to all the Leaders, assistant Leaders, helpers and GASS committee for making our group such a thriving and active one, now closed things off by expressing the gratitude of all to everyone who’d presented for making it such an interesting and enjoyable time. It was noted that all the sections had mentioned that they were looking for more help, not least as during the course of the year there will be leaders and others standing down from their current posts. An added concern was the position of the Wight School and what the future would hold should the situation change – support to continue the status quo may well be called for in the not too distant future. Thanks again to everyone for coming, and to GASS for organising all this into such a brilliant event – same again next year?! 38 Village Hall Update Chris Finch

The Village Hall update this month includes most of the information provided by the Chairman, Geoff Thorpe, at the recent AGM. The present committee members were re-elected, but were pleased to welcome Philip Mayer from the fund-raising committee. His presence at the regular committee meetings will provide a valuable conduit between the two committees, so that updated information can be passed on. In his report at the AGM, Geoff commented that: “this last year has been one of considerable progress for our Village Hall. The committee’s original, perhaps over-ambitious hopes for re-development, following wide -ranging consultations with hirers in the early days, have been slimmed down, especially in view of the current state of the nation’s finances. The initial phases of our development programme have come to fruition, including the new toilet facilities, the partition in the Farley Room, the replacement of the tiles on the rear extension and the insulation of the loft space with thermally efficient sheep’s wool. The Management and Fund-raising committees have both worked extremely hard during the year, with the major successes being the Buy a Brick campaign, two Beer Festivals, the New Year’s Dance and the well supported Rural Cinema. The Parish Council has also been very generous in providing financial support towards the improvements, and the Village Hall has benefited from grants from Southam Vision and the Veolia Landfill Trust. The backing and encouragement from many individuals, clubs and groups within the village has been a tremendous boost and their support has been valued by the committees who appreciate the time and effort which have contributed to successful fund-raising ventures. The improved facilities have been a major factor in the increased level of bookings and significant new users have included the Golden Retriever Club of Great Britain, Bishop’s Tachbrook Brownies, the Aston Martin Social Club and a cycling club. The plans for the next year include the long overdue replacement of the curtains, new shutters for the two serving hatches, the installation of photovoltaic cells and a proposal to refurbish the kitchen. In the short term, it has been agreed that there should be a revised planning application, which will accommodate the improved shower facilities and provide additional space for potential offices or storage. It is essential that we maintain the momentum for fund-raising, so that the Hall can be developed into a 21st Century building of which the village can be justly proud. 39 The information about the Village Hall has been updated on the Parish web-site and this has certainly produced bookings from new groups, which might otherwise have been missed”. Geoff ended his report by giving his personal thanks to members of both committees and the local people who have freely given their time and talents to help create the funds which are leading to a much improved community facility. Horticultural Society Judy Morrall

The April meeting was again a great success and, as I was unable to be there, I would like to thank Tony and all of the Committee for looking after everyone so well. I’m glad that you all enjoyed Howard’s talk; he is a great speaker and personality, I will certainly ask him back again. By the time you read this, our last meeting of the season will have come and gone. We all enjoyed Stanley Lampard’s last talk about Venezuela and I will write in my next article about Borneo, his topic this time. I am therefore unable to give a précis of Howard’s talk but as promised I will try to pass on my enthusiasm for the wonderful gardens that we visited at the beginning of April, in the North East. The weather was very kind to us and, as I have never visited any of the gardens before, it was such a treat! Lindesfarne Castle, The Priory and Holy Island were just magical. Having crossed a long causeway we opted to go on a bus to the Castle but was it worth it! The Castle was designed by Lutyens (he also designed Castle Drogo in Devon in the last century), has views from every window, is a comfortable Castle and very liveable. The walled garden was a little way from the Castle and was designed by Lutyen’s friend Gertrude Jekyll. Not much to see at his time of year but the planting will be great in the Summer, roses and typical Jekyll borders plus herbs and vegetables. We had to leave at 2.45pm as the tide was coming in; I would love to go back in the summer and see the long, wide borders of the walled garden in all their splendour. On the Wednesday we visited Wallington and Cragside and a Roman Fort for good measure! Wallington was an absolute delight - a park, woodland, lake and a walled garden. In the woodlands there were already huge pink Rhododendrons in blossom and swathes of white wood Anemones. The gate into the walled garden revealed a big surprise, almost a mini version of the gardens at Hestercombe. A rill and fountain weaving throughout the garden with lush planting. The primroses in all colours making a great background to the climbers on the walls adorned with statues. At the bottom of the rill it became a little more formal, then a 40 lovely orchard revealed itself. As if that wasn’t enough at the top of the garden there are glasshouses. The one open was full of colourful exotics and climbers. My lasting impression is of vibrant colours. On to Cragside. The house is amazing, the first house in the country to be powered by hydro-electricity. Lord Armstrong was a great industrialist and pioneer and his wife was the gardener. When they knew that the Prince of Wales and some of his family were coming to stay, Lord Armstrong had an extension added on to the drawing room built on solid rock. A great piece of engineering, a huge marble fireplace seemingly balanced on thin air. The gardens are on the side of the rocks and they too are a marvel. A huge rock garden, a pinetum, valley garden, lake and a vast iron bridge with 3 light arches supported on 2 stone piers. The planting is vibrant too but I would not like to be a gardener here, you would need to abseil down the steep rocks etc! You really need a whole day just to explore the gardens which are very extensive but such a hidden gem, well worth a second or even third visit. I had been so looking forward to Alnwick Castle and Gardens which we visited on the Thursday and I just fell in love with them both. The gardens which are about half way through being completed, are the domain of the current Duchess and I am so full of admiration for her determination and efforts. The grand cascade was a sight as the sun was bouncing off the jets of water. It starts its cycle every half hour and from top to bottom all sorts of water columns appear and seem to dance in the air. We saw it at least 3 times! There are rills throughout the top part of the garden which encourage children to jump in and out of them. Next to this, a very different water garden with vortexes and fountains which all the children enjoyed and adults too, so clever. Then a climb up through trees which, in the summer when events are held in the gardens in evenings, have dancers on wires and fairies hiding with twinkling lights throughout. The Cherry Orchard was not in blossom but you could imagine the smells and colours. The trees are all donated to commemorate events in people’s lives and each year there is a ceremony when the donors spend an evening there walking down from the orchard to the pool below when a lantern is released for each person. As well as this there are a million pink tulip bulbs planted under the trees, nothing small time here! The poison garden was most interesting, a guided tour only of course. The walled garden at the top of the cascade had such a variety of planting, from low shrubs to climbers to pleached lime trees (shades of Hidcote) again a massive undertaking. The Duchess met a lot of opposition with her plans for the garden but I’m sure everyone in the village has benefited from the vast number of visitors each year. She wants to extend the cascade and make more user friendly rides etc for disabled children and 41 much more. I’m sure she will succeed. The shop and restaurant are all made from sustainable wood etc and worth patronising. Lastly the tree houses..... well what to say. Each house has quirky windows and seats and all from sustainable wood surrounded by a rope walkway which the children love. I really didn’t want to leave here but we had to see the Castle too but did sneak back for a last look at the cascade in action. The Castle is famous for many reasons - Harry Potter was filmed here!!! It is a beautiful Castle and each room was stuffed with famous paintings, porcelain and furniture. One of the guides told us that for the last few years a room has been cleaned and renovated, it showed - everything just glistened. I think the Canaletto’s and Titians were better than the Queen’s at Buckingham Palace (just don’t tell her!!!). Outside the walls there were thousands and thousands of daffodils in flower - a great sight. I would certainly recommend a visit here too; one of the best days out I have had in ages. Don’t forget to pay for your trips if you haven’t already at the May meeting. I still have spare seats on the coach for both days and would love to fill them. So, if anyone fancies a great day or two out, Wednesday 8th June to Hampshire and Wednesday 6th July to Shropshire and Staffordshire please contact me. There are some lovely gardens open in May nearby - here are a few suggestions. On Wednesday 11th and 18th May, Woolstone Mill House will be open under the NGS from 2.00 to 5.00pm. It is near Faringdon below the Uffington White Horse. A two acre garden with a stream, large borders, cutting and kitchen gardens and topiary. Telephone 01367 820219 for more details. A little closer to home, Wildwood next to Farnborough Garden Centre will be open on Wednesday 18th May from 2.00 to 5.00pm. A delightful garden with mature trees and shrubs providing a haven for wild life. Many unusual plants and containers too. The Court House at Stretton on Fosse will be open on Sunday 8th May, from 2.00 to 6.00pm - a four acre garden with year round interest and colour. Borders, fernery, walled kitchen garden and rose garden. The Folly Lodge at Halford will be open on Tuesday 10th May between 2.00 and 5.00pm. A garden for birds, bees and butterflies, with the scent of hundreds of plants. Also on view, the owners sculptures. The Quarry Garden at Mill Hill Baginton near Coventry at Russell’s Nurseries is a stunning six acre plot with a 35 foot rock face, ponds and colourful planting. Lots of trees, oaks, crategus, birches and conifers. I hope that you all were able to enjoy the fabulous Easter weather and maybe visited a few gardens. The bluebells are two weeks early but what 42 a sight, going up Edgehill last weekend it was just a splash of blue all the way up. At least we have been able to get on with all the things that seem to need doing on the garden and allotments at this time of year. Another long weekend too, bliss. Whatever you do, relax and enjoy the nature of Spring, nowhere is it better than here in Warwickshire. See you at the meeting or on the trips. Garden Jottings from Bridge Nursery Christine Dakin

Your local Hardy Plant Specialists Also: Fresh cut flowers and bedding plants in season. There is a wonderful organisation called The National Garden Scheme which raises money for various cancer charities when people open their gardens to the public. This could be anything from a small town garden to a large country estate. There are county booklets which give details of dates of opening, how to find it and what type of venue it is. One can often have a cup of tea and piece of cake too. Bridge Nursery is part of the scheme and is open every day from April to October. Last year we collected £750 to pass on to the central office. If you were one of those who donated to these worthy causes we would like to express our thanks. The latest news on our rabbit problem is that we have acquired a cat from the Cats Protection League who is supposed to be a good mouser but so far he seems quite content to sit around on MY chair and he curiously has no curiosity in his surroundings. Meanwhile the rabbits are having a grand time! There are many, many things to do now;  Buy bedding and plant up your containers  Apply lawn feed and weed  Plant out brassicas  Sow sweet corn, carrots, French beans, runner beans, lettuce, courgettes  Earth up potatoes  Prune spirea arguta, flowering currant, and forsythia after the flowers have finished  And weed and weed again. Bridge Nursery, Tomlow Road, Napton, Tel: 01926 812737, www.bridge-nursery.co.uk 43 Nature Notes John Hancock

Due to the unusually warm April weather, (today, 25th April, it was 20C at noon), flowers and leaf opening are earlier than usual, possibly by as much as a fortnight. The varied shades of green possessed by the young leaves of our deciduous trees delight the eye. Oak leaves which can be just a centimetre in length and covered with downy hair when fresh will reach 10cms in length, lose their protective hairs and take on a dark green hue as summer advances. Generally it seems, an early heat wave is followed by a wet summer - we shall see. The large wild pear tree at Cubbington stood out when observed across the Leam Valley from Hill Top Farm on the 8th April. This was some 2.5K (1.5 miles) distant and the tree appeared as a snowy dome glinting in the sunshine. When I pedalled round on 18th April to take a closer look, the blossom had passed its best and green was the dominant colour. My apologies to the Wednesday Walkers who are walking from Hunningham to see the fabled tree on 4th May. In Turkey recently to see some Classical sites, Sharon and I were bowled over by the sight of storks which were busy nesting in town centres. As they are viewed as bringing luck, the locals often provide them with metal grids on lamp standards to facilitate their impressive nests which can reach 2 metres (6ft) in diameter. They are large birds belonging to the family Ciconiidae and have a wingspan of 3 metres equalled only by the Andean Condor. They are long legged, long necked wading birds with very stout bills. They are mute, communicating by clattering their bills. Most eat frogs, fish, insects, earthworms and small birds and mammals. According to Mark Cocker in the encyclopaedic ‘Birds Britannica’ published by Chatto and Windus, the White Stork (there is a black species) is an irregular visitor to these shores with a maximum of about 50 in any calendar year. There have been just two documented nesting attempts, in Edinburgh in 1416 and West Yorkshire in 2004. Temperatures have generally been much lower in Southern Europe than is usual for the time of year whilst here in the north and west it has been more akin to summer. Butterflies have benefited. I watched a female Orange Tip at Bishops Hill on 20th April. It was laying eggs and I found one. It was white and glued under the flower bud of a garlic mustard plant. Its other preferred food plant is the Cuckoo flower or Lady’s Smock (Cardamine pratensis). In a day or two, the egg would take on an orange colour. I marked the position to return and search for the caterpillar which generally hatches after a week or so. This butterfly usually lays only one egg per plant as the caterpillars can be cannibalistic if they meet. 44 The males have the orange tip, the female is the same size but white. Both have beautiful olive green mottling on the underwings. We went to see the bluebells at Whichford Wood on 24th April and were not disappointed. The wood lies on the slope of a hill near the village of the same name in the south of the county. A footpath and bridle way network makes access easy. We entered at GR 295343 (OS 151 Stratford-upon Avon. 1:50,000). Primroses, Yellow Archangel, Wood Anemones and Wild Garlic were present in patches but we feasted our eyes in the sunshine on great swathes of bluebells, especially thick where the woodland had been partially cleared. The pottery in the village will be known to some of you and is well worth a visit. Walking out of the Stour valley earlier from the village of Cherrington (which has a very welcoming pub), we came across an isolated mature Walnut tree, its reddish foliage beginning to open. It was beside the bridle way in a steep pasture on the 150 metre contour. Perhaps a bird had buried the nut there years ago or maybe picnickers had been responsible. Who knows? It is thought that Jays, by burying acorns in autumn as a winter food source play a highly beneficial role in replenishing our oak woods. We saw plenty of St. Mark’s flies; a large, fearsome looking, long, black insect which is actually quite harmless. It gets its name as it emerges around St Mark’s Day (21st April). I recommend a visit this summer to a hidden gem. The Fosse Way dives down into the Dene Valley 2.5K (1.5 miles) after crossing the B4086 Wellesbourne to Kineton road. The disused railway line to Stratford used the Dene Valley route and must have been a stately way to travel in its Edwardian heyday. Immediately after the river, a bridle way on the left leads to Butlers Marston via Oxhouse Farm. Over years, the largely unimproved fields around this farm have provided a haven for wildlife. Just one large field has been designated a National Nature Reserve. I prefer to approach via the footpath from Combrook and this is what Sharon and I did today. We saw five species of butterfly including Speckled Wood, Peacock, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and our first Red Admiral of the year. The reserve is dotted with anthills and had impressive numbers of cowslips. It once had a sign recording its NNR status but this is no longer the case. (GR 306507 OS 151). It is the place to go to see those flowers which have largely disappeared with our more intensive agricultural methods demanded by population growth. I’m waiting for the evocative sound of the cuckoo. Margaret McDonald reports that she has heard one. I’ve heard it less often in recent years. Alan Barr says that a Collared Dove’s call can be mistaken for that of a cuckoo. The swallows have arrived - summer’s here. 45 General Section

Harbury Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Group Harbury D of E Group continues to flourish, with nearly 30 young people working hard towards their Bronze and Silver Awards at present. At the end of April they set off on their practice expeditions, both locally (Bronze) and to Shropshire (Silver), in preparation for their qualifying expeditions in the Peak District in July. Many thanks... We would like to publically thank the John Ridgley Tree of Light Committee for their very generous donation, which has enabled us to buy more much-needed light-weight tents and camping stoves for the young people to use on expeditions. The photograph above shows participants putting their camp-craft skills to the test…. Calling all new Bronze Award participants... We are starting to plan for the Autumn term and the start of another group of Bronze participants. If you are moving into Year 10 in September, and would like to join our group to start your Bronze Award, we are holding a short meeting for interested young people and their parents in Harbury School Hall on Friday 17th June, at 6.45pm prompt and ending at 7.15pm, where you can register your interest and learn more about what is involved. This meeting will be followed by…….. Fund-Raising Quiz Night... Also on Friday 17th June, we are holding another of our popular fund- raising Quiz Nights. The quiz will once again be held in Harbury School Hall, doors open at 7.30, quiz starts at 8pm, with Cana Import running the bar and refreshments served during the evening. If you would like to 46 book a team of four for the quiz, please call Caroline Hill (613780) or email [email protected] as soon as possible. More information about Harbury DofE Group can be found at www.harburydofe.co.uk, and information about the Award Scheme as a whole can be found at www.dofe.org or call Nick Tawney on 614062. Caroline Hill

Hereburgh Morris Dance For Japan

On Saturday 26th March, Hereburgh Morris danced in the village in aid of the victims of the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami. The people of Harbury were as generous as ever and a fantastic £268 was raised which has gone to the Japanese Red Cross. Here are some photos of Hereburgh in action. Every year, Hereburgh collects for various charity causes but this is clearly a very special and urgent appeal. It is made even more relevant for Hereburgh as Ceri Edward’s husband Masa comes from the north east region of Japan and his family have been directly affected. Thank you to all those who contributed. Alan Guy, Squire

Hereburgh Morris Good Friday Walk The Hereburgh Morris Good Friday Walk is traditional. Well, at least we’ve been doing it for more years than I care to remember. It all started in the days when Chesterton Wood was open on Good Friday each year, attracting crowds of visitors to admire the flowers and the interesting 47 topology of the Wood. Members of Hereburgh Morris developed a habit of meeting there with our families for coffee and hot-cross buns and a short walk. When the Wood closed permanently, we looked elsewhere for a venue to stretch our legs and have enjoyed walks in many other places including Ufton, Blockley, Ilmington, Flecknoe, Hunningham, Berkswell and even Harbury. This year, we started in Avon Dassett and followed a 5-mile walk to Burton Dassett Church and Fenny Compton before returning to a pub lunch at The Avon, back in Avon Dassett. My thanks to Gill Hare for giving me details of an excellent route. Twenty six walkers (Hereburgh Morris members, ex-members, friends and family) enjoyed perfect weather, fantastic views in all directions from the Burton Dassett ridge (where we paused for our coffee break), a tasty lunch at the end and absolutely no Morris dancing. Members of the Folk Club Choir couldn’t resist the temptation to try out the acoustics of Burton Dassett Church by singing a verse of “Now (soon) is the month of the Maying”. We also had the unexpected bonus of seeing three traction engines, fully steamed up ready for boiler inspection, at Hill Farm. This is an example of the rich social life enjoyed by your local Morris team. The dancing and music is great fun but we also make a point of organising other activities together. We are always keen to recruit new members (both men and women) so please get in touch if you are tempted to give it a try, without any obligation. More information is available on our website: www.come.to/hereburgh Peter McDonald

Harbury Hopes To Go The Extra Mile To Help People Living With Cancer Once again I am organising another "Macmillan Miles Challenge" - raising money to help Macmillan Cancer Support aid people living with cancer. 48 Last year we raised £676.86 - the best ever collection. Can we beat it this year? On Friday and Saturday June 3rd / 4th along with willing supporters we are hoping to achieve lines of coins on the footpath in the centre of the village. It's a simple way to support the Macmillan Charity in our region and we ask that you give generously. In the UK, one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime and over a million people are affected. Macmillan Cancer Support is a UK charity which helps to provide the expert care and practical and emotional support that makes a real difference to people living with cancer. For cancer information and support contact Macmillan Cancer Support, tel: 0808 808 0000 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk. PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY WHEREVER YOU SEE THE MACMILLAN SIGNS Ann Mayer (612708)

W.I. 75th Anniversary Tree Many people may have noticed that a replacement tree (Acer Crimson King) has been planted next to the children’s playground. This was necessary as the delightful mature one was vandalised some months ago and had to be taken down before it became dangerous. Two of the culprits admitted being involved in damaging the tree and have contributed to the cost of replacement. It is a pity that others did not own up and help to pay for the damage they had done.

I along with everyone else in the village trust that this young tree will be allowed to mature and give pleasure and shade to all who visit the playground or pass along the footpath to the field.

Ann Mayer 49 Blood Donors Last time we nearly reached 100 – can we do it again? Maybe you know someone on exam leave – donors can start at 17. The next session will be at Harbury Village Hall on Thursday 9th June, 1.30 – 3.30pm and 4.40 – 7.30pm. Gillian Hare

Wednesday Walkers Stout footwear is all you need To travel far and wide; Our leader Gill had planned our routes But found that she’d packed two left boots! OK, I admit it! Luckily and typically this spring, trainers were fine. The lovely weather has made our walks such a treat, and we’ve seen wood anemones, primroses and lapwings. We hope it won’t mean that our planned bluebell walk is too late to see them. Do join us to find out. 4th May The famous pear tree at Cubbington 11th May Bluebell woods at Wootten Wawen, four miles 18th May Helliden (optional pub lunch), four miles 25th May Napton, four miles 1st June Bishops Itchington – Ladbroke, five miles All walks meet behind the Village Hall at 9.45am. Queries – Pam Parton, 614188 or Gillian Hare, 614809. Gillian Hare

It is nearly Carnival time! Remember it’s an early start: Parade Judging 12 noon for 12.15 in Sutcliffe Drive Saturday June 11th, 2011. The Carnival King and Queen have been chosen as we get to the final countdown for this fun event. Brandon is this year’s Carnival King and he writes: “I live in Chapel Street with my mum and my brother Connor, and Pete and his children. My favourite hobby is playing on my PlayStation and my favourite food is Pizza but I do have to eat 'green' too (Yuk!) When I grow up I want to be famous.” 50 Well, he will become more famous, particularly if we have a great turnout of all of you out there to cheer him and the Carnival Queen, Claudia on. “I'm Claudia, my birthday is 26th June which makes me a Millennium baby! I live with my mum, my step dad and my two sisters, Clarice and Carmen. We live in Manor Road and have 29 animals. Cross Country and Netball are my favourite sports. My mum’s Cheesy Pasta is the best ever and my favourite colours are yellow and purple.” So make sure you wave something yellow and purple as Claudia and Brandon drive by at the head of the Procession! Vehicles need to be in position by 12 noon and judging starts at 12.15pm in Sutcliffe Drive. The Parade then leaves about 1pm with the Shirley Pipe Band and winds its way around Harbury to the Recreation Ground at about 1.30pm. The categories are: Trade Float Independent Float Children’s’ Float Decorated Bike/Pram/Car Horse Drawn/Mounted/Lead Walking Tableau Children 2-8 persons Walking Tableau Children more than 8 persons Walking Tableau Family Walking Tableau Adults Walking Adult Walking Child Once at the Field you will be able to enjoy the Fancy Dress Competition, Punch & Judy, the Shirley Pipe Band, the Dog Show and many stalls and other attractions. There is just time to book a stall/pitch on the field by calling Mike McBride on 612421, and, if you have any questions about the Carnival, please feel free to call John Broomfield, Carnival Committee Chairman, on 614258. He will be happy to provide whatever help he can. See you there! Peter Walshe On Behalf of the Carnival Committee 51 Wheelbarrow Race Challenge from France! Who will win the crown? (Starts and ends at the Crown Inn, Sunday 5th June) This year, Samois-sur-Seine, our twinned Village, has laid down the gauntlet and will be taking part. Harbury Carnival Week is the only one in the World with a Wheelbarrow Race. This unique Wheelbarrow Race will start (and finish) at The Crown Inn on Sunday 5th June. Please assemble at 12.30pm for a 1.00pm start. Again, can we please ask you to make sure you complete an entry form and pay the entrance fee BEFORE the day. Forms are available from the pubs and Dan Killian on 612265 or Mike McBride on 612421. And Pub Games Week follows, so please enter a team or just come and watch. If you want to enter a team please contact Dan Killian on 612265 or Mike McBride on 612421. You can have a maximum of TWELVE nominated players for the team although only FOUR are allowed to take part in any particular game – players can take part in more than ONE game. Also, you do not have to have TWELVE team members so teams can be smaller, but obviously with a minimum of FOUR people. Entrance fees for the games are £1 per head. Aunt Sally The Shakespeare - Monday 6th June Horseshoes The Gamecock - Tuesday 7th June Skittles Old New Inn - Wednesday 8th June Quiz Night The Village Club - Thursday 9th June The games start at 7.30pm each evening and will only be available in English! Peter Walshe On behalf of the Carnival Committee

Dave Moorcroft to open Heart of Harbury Games Former World record holder for 5,000 meters and regular BBC athletics commentator Dave Moorcroft will be at the Harbury Rec on 18th June to open the Heart of Harbury Games. His support gives a real celebrity boost to this great community event which should attract hundreds of spectators and lots of participants in teams of six men, six women and six children competing for gold, silver and bronze medals in over 30 Olympic style events. 52 Dave is keen to see our local talent in events like 100m sprint and the relay races and he’s intrigued by the fun events like “Throwing a Tantrum”. Winners will be presented with their medals at medal ceremonies with flags flying and anthems played over the PA system. All surplus proceeds will go to the Village Hall Development fund. Here’s how you can get involved: Enter your own team: At the time of writing (just after Easter) we have six teams entered so we need four more. Join a team that needs some extra people: Some of the teams that have entered have a few places left. Let us know if you’d like to join a team. Be a sponsor: Donate a raffle prize or sponsor one of the events for a charge of £50. Event sponsors will be invited to present the medals for the event they sponsor. Be a helper: We need lots of people to help by starting or judging events and preparing and serving refreshments. Just come and enjoy the fun: Watch and cheer as your friends and neighbours break Olympic records or just show off to the gallery. Enjoy a drink and a bite to eat, buy the “Lucky programme” or an event T shirt. Guaranteed fun for all the family!! For more information phone: Andrew Lawrence (614937), Lin Hayes (613488), Trevor Montague (612340), John or Sharon Hancock (612860) or Andrew Hunt (613598). Andrew Lawrence

Change of Day for the Drop in Tea for the Bereaved The Drop in Tea for the bereaved will now meet on the last Tuesday of the month instead of the last Wednesday. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 31st May, anytime between 2.30pm and 4.30pm at 19 Farm Street. If you have been bereaved and feel you may like to join us or would like to know more, please contact Jill Winter 612585. Jill Winter

Bumps and Bundles Bumps and Bundles celebrated our first Mother’s Day with our new bundles in style with a champagne breakfast – the bundles weren’t too bothered by it all but we had a marvellous time! 53 We meet during term time on Tuesdays 10.30am-12.00 noon in the Tom Hauley Room. For further details contact Helen (614150) or Kelly (611914), though please feel free to just turn up and join in. All bundles and bumps welcome! This month we are looking forward to more taster sessions run by Southam Children’s Centre and a morning looking at baby and children’s books. Katy Spencer Hammon

Harbury Parish Plan Update Survey The Parish Plan survey will be taken offline on or around the 16th May so please, if you haven’t done so already, fill in a copy and let us know your views by going to www.harbury-pc.gov.uk. If you would prefer to fill in a paper copy, a Word version can be downloaded from the site or picked up from the Parish Office, Unit 2, Bull Ring Business Centre, Church Terrace, Tel: 614646. Many thanks to those of you who have taken the time to fill in the survey – your views are appreciated. Harbury Parish Council

Harbury Senior Citizens Committee Update At the coffee morning recently some of you gave us a long list of options for where you would like to go on the outing this year. We normally alternate between going to the coast and not going to the coast! Last year it was Southport. A couple of years ago we went to Windsor and as we had very good feedback about the trip and the fact that many of you didn't get to see and do all that you wanted, we have decided to go back again this year. So, we will be going to Windsor on Wednesday 15th June leaving the Village Hall at 8.30am. The invitations are being delivered and we would like you to return them to Mugleston's Country Fayre by Friday 3rd June. If you are new to the village and think you may be eligible to come along, 54 or you think we may not have you on our list of invitations, please contact Thelma Gulliver on 613267 or Margaret Sherrington on 613704.

Mike McBride On behalf of the Harbury Senior Citizens Benefit Association

The Spirit of Harbury The Spirit of Harbury 2011 will be presented on Saturday 25th June at the Tom Hauley coffee morning. Please do take the opportunity to help the community recognise the efforts of those people who freely give their time to make Harbury the very special community it is and whose contributions often go unnoticed by many. Your nominations for this year’s "Spirit" are invited by emailing [email protected] or by dropping a note into 1 Sutcliffe Drive, Harbury. Alison, Andrew and Stephen Hunt

Harbury Energy Initiative Anyone who has invested in capturing sunshine through photovoltaic panels or solar hot water systems will have been glorying in free energy and heat these last few weeks. I notice quite a few new panels on roofs in the village and HEI have had one or two phone calls from people wanting advice and information. It would be wonderful if some of you would be prepared to share your experiences with others either by contacting me (see below for details), by joining the meetings we have periodically (also see below for the next one) or, more urgently, by responding to Steering Group member David Bristow: David says: ‘Some of us are now about to be trained as "Energy Champions" - volunteers who are prepared to help individual householders think what they could do to save money and energy in their own homes. Energy Champions visit homes by invitation. They use a straightforward checklist of energy saving possibilities, and of grants and other opportunities, and in the course of discussion work out whether there are any cost-effective measures that the householder might wish to think about to save money and energy. We do not need people who are technically minded, but only people who are sensible, approachable and trusted. Would you be able to help, or can you think of anyone else who might be interested? If you can, there is a free training session on the evening of May 11th, so please contact David Bristow as soon as possible on 612536, 07511 679312 or [email protected]. 55 ‘As soon as possible’ does mean very promptly, as there are only a few days from the time you receive this issue of Harbury and Ladbroke News to let David know. We definitely do not intend this role to be onerous or evangelical. Please do think about it. The village needs you. The school survey has been really well supported by us all. The final count has yet to be made but it looks as though we have over 500 returned questionnaires of some 900 that were delivered. The children will be working out what it all means ready for our special village event on October 8th. ‘Green Memories, Green Future’, as we are considering calling it, will take place at the school and feature a look back at our village archive and a look forward to a sustainable future. Please make a note in your diaries. Next meeting of HEI is at The Old New Inn at 7pm on 25th May. Everyone is welcome. Bob Sherman - 612277 [email protected]

Harbury Choir School to Sing for Bishop of Warwick Our group of eight Chamber Choir singers had a great day out in Birmingham singing Handel's Messiah last month. The day was a tough one, as it certainly wasn't aimed at young singers as with other events we have been to. The youngsters asked us which piece we were singing from the thick book of music they were given when they arrived - the answer was 'all of it!' They did incredibly well to keep up with the pace of the day, following not just their own parts on the music, but other voice parts as well to find their own entries. It was a fantastic opportunity to sing within a large four-part choir, as well as working with four extremely good soloists. Our youngsters were very professionally behaved throughout, especially the two for whom this was their first Chamber Choir outing. They all gave us every reason to be proud of them yet again. We had several comments of praise from the event organisers and even the soprano soloist who has sung internationally - so high praise indeed! We now look forward to a fun summer term. Our next engagement is on the 21st May at Chesterton for the open air Horse and Rider Blessing. This should be a wonderful event and we are especially looking forward to the opportunity to sing for the Bishop of Warwick. We will be singing during the blessing ceremony and also entertaining afterwards as the horses leave for their hack. This special event is open to all, so please do come along. Helen Iles www.harburychoirschool.org 56 Harbury Thursday Club As many of you know we meet every 4th Thursday in the Farley Room in the Village Hall (except August and December). Each month we alternate between having a speaker and holding a social afternoon. We meet at 2.30pm and charge only £1.00 which includes refreshments and a small raffle. If you are interested and for further information phone either Peggie or Bill on 612877 - or simply turn up at a meeting - we shall be pleased to see you.! Peggie & Bill Middleton

Village with a Vision During the last week of April some members of the Group visited another Extra Care Home - this one is in Derbyshire, and built by one of the Prospective Partners who are under consideration to build ours. This was, again, very impressive. We have now visited some twelve Extra Care Homes of various sizes, gleaning much useful knowledge from each of them. We may seem to be moving painfully slowly, but we are moving forward. We have to get it right; there won’t be a second stab at it once designs and building are started! Hopefully this will not be too far away, because during the next few weeks decisions will have to be made. Stay with us! Tony Stubbs

Harbury NSPCC Committee Many thanks to all those who attended our Ladies Lunch on the 24th March in the Tom Hauley Room. We listened to an excellent talk on musical instruments by Peter McDonald and raised £396 which was a very good result. Recently, several members of our committee have resigned for various reasons so we are looking to recruit some new members. If you are interested in helping to raise funds for this very worthwhile charity, please call Claire Bruce on 614664. We would be delighted to hear from you. NSPCC Committee Harbury Bridge Club Due to a lack of players, we have regretfully decided not to continue playing bridge at Harbury Club on Thursday evenings. Pat Hearn 57 Sounds of the Sixties Event 2011 It will soon be the time of the year when the largest crowd to descend on Harbury each year arrives to enjoy the SOTS event, which is organised in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. This will be the eleventh and final event, as the organisers have surpassed their original intention to raise over £50K for TCT, since the total amassed to date has been £63K. As always, the event will be held on the Rugby FC ground in a marquee with five bands playing a mixture of rock and country music. The date has been set for 9th July; tickets ordered before the day will be £10 (£15 payable on the gate) and they can be booked through Joe Griffin on 613151 / 07831 405651. Further details will be given in the June edition of H&L News, but for those for whom the live event is a ‘must’, the sooner tickets are reserved, the better.

Joe Griffin

Can you identify this photograph?

Can you identify this photograph which is dated 8th September 1949 and has a number of Harbury residents in it like a young Iori Davies? It is assumed that it is an outing of villagers and is probably taken outside of the immediate locality, as the building appears to be a garage or similar but no one has been able to place it. 58 Some of the children in the photo could still be in Harbury; so if you can shed any light on the photograph please contact the Editorial Office on 612155. John Holden

Warwickshire Air Ambulance - What are you doing on 5th June? Why not support the Warwickshire Air Ambulance by running or walking 5 or 10km around Stoneleigh Abbey on 5th June? Bring all the family, including the dogs! Subject to operations, the helicopter will be in the arena and you will be able to view it close up. The Air Ambulance flies on average five - six missions every day and they need your contributions to keep flying. Sunday - Stoneleigh Abbey at 10.30am. To register, please go to: www.wnaa.co.uk. If you can't make it, why not make a donation at: www.justgiving.com/ wnaa. Bill Leech - Rescued in November 2003

Survey on Southam Town Centre The national ‘voice’ of market towns, AMT (Action for Market Towns) is currently conducting a ‘Benchmarking’ activity in Southam. Benchmarking is a well established approach of gathering key performance data to gauge the strengths, weaknesses and economic performance of town centres. Benchmarking data is used in many ways, ranging from evidence to apply for funding for redevelopments to offering marketing advice to businesses. One of the key elements of the approach is to gain the views of those who both use and do not use Southam town centre from surrounding localities. From town centre visitors, AMT want to understand how often they visit, why they visit, how long they stay for and what they like, whilst for the non visitors we want to ascertain why they do not go to Southam town centre and what developments and initiatives could attract them. If you are interested in taking part in this important piece of research please complete an online survey by visiting http:// tinyurl.com/southamsurvey or go to the Harbury Parish website www.harbury-pc.gov.uk. Mike King, amt-i 07818 068982, [email protected] 59 The National Gardens Scheme Visit an NGS garden this year and help raise millions of pounds for charity. Have you ever thought of visiting an NGS garden? There are about 3,700 gardens to choose from in England and Wales. Warwickshire offers 31 individual and group gardens. Most of the gardens that open for the NGS are privately owned and open just a few times each year; others open as part of a group which gets the whole community involved. Delicious home-made teas add to the afternoon’s outing. In the last ten years the NGS has donated £25 million. Its major beneficiaries are Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help the Hospices and Cross Roads Care. The NGS is a registered charity established in 1927 which keeps its overheads low so that most of the money raised at the garden gate goes straight to its charities. Each garden charges a small entrance fee (typically £2 - £5 per adult, children free). Free booklets listing just Warwickshire NGS gardens are available from Garden Centres, Libraries and the National Gardens Scheme website - www.ngs.org.uk. So next time you see a bright yellow “NGS Garden Open” arrow or poster at the roadside, why not come and enjoy a cup of tea and cake at these beautiful gardens and at the same time you will be supporting several worthwhile charities? We are always looking for nice, pretty or unusual individual or village group gardens to open for us. A happy day out with a delicious tea and a pretty garden to visit is what we are striving to find in Warwickshire. If you think you can help please contact me. Julia Sewell, Warwickshire County Organiser 01295 680234

Village Voices at Galanos House Village Voices (Leamington-based choir) will perform a concert of songs from the shows and other delightful music to entertain you at the Royal British Legion Poppy Home, Galanos House, Southam on 11th June at 7.30pm. The money raised will help enable residents to have trips out and short holidays. Tickets £6, including a glass of wine and canapés, are available from Galanos House 01926 812185. Further information: http://www.villagevoices.co.uk/. Sue Grimley - Publicity Officer Village Voices Choir 60 LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Dear Editors A big thank you to all the villagers and their friends who attended a recent Quiz Night at the Village Hall which was a fundraising event for a lift at the Rugby Club for wheelchair access to the Clubroom. The event was superbly organized by Paul Winchester and Jamie Williams, over 20 teams entered and the night was enjoyed by all. The event raised over £1000 which means we are about halfway towards the target figure. Many thanks to Paul and Jamie - you did an excellent job which was appreciated by us all. Ian Holroyd President: Harbury Rugby Club

Do you need help with any of the following? Harbury Helpline is for you!

EMERGENCY TRANSPORT: John Travis 613264 HELP WITH FORM FILLING:  For University/Job Applications, interviews, CVs: Call Philip Bushill-Matthews 612476. HOME VISITING: Caring for a sick or elderly relative and need a break for a few hours, or you would like someone to call on you. Call Sue Dormer 613254. VISITING: Hospital. If you are unable to visit a parent or relative, or parents would like support with a child in Hospital: Keith Dormer 613254.

JUNE EDITION - HARBURY & LADBROKE NEWS Adverts to 31 Binswood End by 15th May Articles to Harbury Pharmacy by 26th May

61 BOOKINGS FOR

SCOUT HUT TOM HAULEY ROOM THR COFFEE MORNINGS Caroline Hill Sally Stringer Sally Stringer Tel: 613780 Tel: 613214 Tel: 613214 - [email protected] [email protected] VILLAGE HALL VILLAGE CLUB - CONCERT ROOM WIGHT SCHOOL

Celia Neill - Anna Wilson Tel: 612819 Tel: 612498 (evenings) Tel: 614217 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Locksmith Services (Harbury Based)  Locks opened using Non Destructive Entry (NDE)  Locks replaced / upgraded  On site key cutting  Police Vetted, fully insured  Member of the NNAL & FSB

See our website www.lambeslocks.co.uk Call us on 07593 657305 Please add this number to your phone. You never know if you’ll need it.

07946170450

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Receive a 1/2 price Organic prescriptive facial for just £15 when you spend £25 or more on Neal’s Yard Award-Winning Organic Skincare. A great way to enhance your skin care with friendly & professional advice, while enjoying a luxurious facial. (Offer ends 26th May)

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62

Only two homes remain for sale at Harbury Fields, Bush Heath Lane

Seven of the nine local market homes for sale at the new development on Bush Heath Lane created specifically to cater for housing needs in the parish of Harbury and Deppers Bridge have been snapped up – with the first new owners poised to move in shortly.

The houses sold so far were all purchased well before completion and without the aid of a show home, underlining the enthusiasm for a scheme designed to help villagers remain in the area in which they have a local connection.

Only two houses remain, and developers Linfoot Country Homes are hoping they will be reserved by people with local connections before they are marketed to a wider audience. The houses - plots 17 and 18 - both have three bedrooms and offer stylish accommodation within a traditionally built exterior.

They each feature a bespoke fully fitted kitchen breakfast room with integrated appliances and a stunning living dining room occupying the full All the affordable homes such as those width of the property, with wide French windows pictured at Linfoot Country Homes’ Harbury opening onto the generous sized rear garden. Fields off Bush Heath Lane are now occupied. And of the open market houses only two remain for sale after the rest were purchased There is a master bedroom with en suite shower room, two further bedrooms, a family bathroom before completion. and a single garage. The properties both have a number of interesting features including a brick inglenook fireplace with multi-fuel stove in the living room and a full height hall overlooked by a galleried landing.

The houses are priced at £235,000 and £237,500.

All homes are built to level three of the Code for Sustainable Homes and will be powered by eco friendly air source heat pumps, as well as having sustainable storm water drainage, rainwater butts and low energy lighting. Linfoot Country Homes are anticipating completion by the end of July.

Harbury Fields, the first scheme of its kind in the district, is being developed in partnership with Harbury Parish Council and Warwickshire Rural Housing Association, under the Stratford District Council Local Choice initiative following an in depth survey into rural housing needs.

The Bush Heath Lane scheme has already welcomed its first residents – selected by the Warwickshire Rural Housing Association - to live in its 13 affordable houses and bungalows all of which are now occupied. Both the houses for sale and affordable homes attracted long queues of applicants keen to stay in the village in which they live, work or were brought up or where close family members live.

The strict criteria on who can buy the houses during the initial months of marketing include having been born in the Harbury and Deppers Bridge parish, having lived there for three years in the past or being a current resident of more than a year’s standing. People with parents, siblings or children in the village are also eligible as are people who have worked in the parish for at least the past 12 months. The same criteria apply when the owner sells up – ensuring the homes are not sold to outsiders unless there is no local demand.

Anyone interested in buying one of the two remaining houses or wanting further information should contact Edward Bromwich at selling agents ehB Residential on 01926 881144. 63

THE CROWN INN Serving a Gastronomic,

International Menu with a Mediterranean flavour.

Friday - Fish and Chip Day with mushy peas

Eat in £7.95 / Takeaway - £6.50

Available between 5.00 - 7.00pm must be pre-ordered

A traditional

Sunday lunch Three course lunch - £13.95 from 12.00 noon - 5.00pm

Our Bistro is now

enjoying a successful run. Large choice of starters and mains FENCES : to choose from ranging in price from £1.50 to £6.95 TREES Bistro Opening Times:

All types of fencing and gates Tue/Wed/Thurs/Fri

12.00 - 2.30pm and 6.30 - 8.30pm Tree felling and reduction

Saturday at the Bistro Hedge laying and trimming Enjoy a traditional Brunch

between 11.00am-1.00pm Patios Menus and more information are Seasoned logs available available on our website!!

Call Adrian Dollar on We have a dog friendly bar. 01926 817077 or 07914 623989 01926 614995

Qualified and Insured www.crowninnharbury.co.uk

64 ADVERTISING in the Harbury & Ladbroke News Email: [email protected] Tel: 01926 612155

Monthly Prices Annual Prices ¼ page £10.50 (or 3 consecutive months for £28.00) ¼ page £ 94.00 ½ page £19.00 ½ page £168.00 (or 3 consecutive months for £49.00) Full page £33.50 Full page £315.00 (or 3 consecutive months for £89.00)

Advert with payment to: Gill Holden, 31, Binswood End, Harbury th by 15 day of the month (Cheques payable to ‘Harbury & Ladbroke News’)

HOME BOARDING FOR YOUR DOG

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65

Windmill’s Nursery Famous

Black Tie & Bollywood Saturday 25th June 8pm – midnight

Harbury Village Hall Featuring live band ‘RetroEvolution’ Dinner * Disco * Raffle Catering by ‘Jasmine Spice’ at the Dog Inn Bar by ‘Cana Import’at Bank Chambers Smart Dress (Black Tie or Bollywood style Optional) Tickets £20 to include a glass of bubbly on arrival & 3 course traditional Bangladeshi & Indian banquet Tickets available from Cana at Bank Chambers or from Tracey Pettipher on 01926 614923. Parties of 6+ may be seated together by reserving a table All Proceeds to go to Windmill’s Nursery registered charity

66

 Specialising in complete BATHROOM and KITCHEN INSTALLATIONS  Full TILING service available  Competitive rates  Project Management available for larger projects  Over 25 years experience  No job too small!! Mobile: 07721 522298 Home: 01926 613776 Email: [email protected]

Gardens by Wendy phone: 01926 614877 mobile: 07595 289331 e-mail: [email protected]

 Garden design services from one-off consultations to full designs  Advice on rejuvenating tired or problem areas of planting  Help with growing fruit & veg, organic gardening, pests & diseases, etc.

 Specialist gardening work such as pruning, border maintenance etc.

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Opening hours Monday - Friday 8.30am - 7.00pm Saturday 8.30am - 5.00pm Sunday 9.00 - 12.30pm

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67

Saddlers Bed & Breakfast

Self-contained Cottage in the heart of Harbury. Double bed, shower room, living & dining area with kitchenette, TV/DVD; CD/Radio. Sleeps 2 to 4. Off road parking.

£60 per night including continental breakfast.

Julie Young, Saddlers, Chapel Street, Harbury. 01926 614050 or email [email protected] www.saddlersbed.co.uk

STORM LOCKS

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Design-Planning & Building Regulations Application Service available.

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Telephone: Harbury 612260 Mobile: 07779 096104

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68

Harbury Garden Design Mature gardens… redesigned, replanted, revitalised.

Call Richard Wilne at Harbury Garden Design to arrange a free initial consultation. 01926 612204 – [email protected]

Right tree, right place | High performance shrubs | Succession planting

OFSTED REGISTERED CHILD MINDER - KNIGHTCOTE

Ofsted Registered with 10 years of experience who has recently moved into the local area. Full or part-time care, before and after school care, flexible hours, weekend and night cover. Vacancies available. Please phone Mel on 01295 770831, 07576 759212 or email [email protected] for further information.

FREE JEWELLERY, SILVER, CERAMICS, BOOKS, TOYS & ANTIQUES VALUATIONS

Refreshments in aid of the NSPCC Meet Kate Bliss, Jewellery Expert and Charles Hanson, Bargain Hunt Expert Thursday 12th May, 12.15 - 4.30pm Items may be left to be entered into a suitable sale. Leek Wootton Village Hall Warwick Road, Leek Wootton, Warwick, CV35 7RB

FREE HOME VISITS FOR LARGER ITEMS Charles Hanson is available for Charity events e.g. Valuation days, talks, auctions etc. Hansons now employs Kate Bliss as a consultant to advise clients on the value and sale of Jewellery and Silver. For further information please contact Mrs Carol Jones, Hansons Warwickshire Representative on 01926 770066 Email: [email protected] www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk 69

M o o r e & T i b b i t s

S o l i c i t o r s

Are you or your family facing difficult decisions about moving into a Care Home and the financial

consequences of this? We have a friendly specialist team who can provide practical support

and guidance in relation to:-

 Care Fees and who should pay them  Entitlement to NHS Public Funding

 Mental Capacity

 Court of Protection Applications and Lasting Powers of Attorney  Wills, Probate and Inheritance Tax planning

We also undertake Family, Matrimonial and Conveyancing work

For further information please contact Angela Woodruff on 01926 491181 or email [email protected]

Moore & Tibbits Solicitors, 34 High Street, Warwick, CV34 4BE

www.moore-tibbits.co.uk

Tel: 01926 491181

Fax: 01926 402692

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Absolute Beauty

May Special Offers Full Body Massage with treatment eye mask - £30.00

Full Facial with treatment eye mask - £30.00

Trendy Patterned Toe Nail Wraps - £15.00

Shellac (zero drying time) fingers and toes - £25.00 (both)

Air Brush Spray Tan - £15.00

Metallic Minx Toe Nails - £20.00 Gold, Silver & Stunning Patterns Lasts 6 to 8 weeks Shellac Polish on Hands or Feet - £15.00 Zero Dry Time for Busy People Tel 01926 612403 www.rosina.moonfruit.com [email protected]

The Shakespeare Inn

 Traditional 18th century country inn

 Choice of real ales and guest beers  Sunday Lunch / Hot food menu and snacks available 7 days a week 9-11 MILL STREET, HARBURY 12 noon to 9.00pm LEAMINGTON SPA, CV33 9HR  Large car park and beer garden Telephone: 01926 613822 See us on facebook

 Function room

71 M.B. EDWARDS NEW BUILD, GENERAL BUILDER RENOVATION,

MAINTENANCE

ALL ASPECTS OF CONTACT: INTERNAL, BUILDING WORK, EXTERNAL, INC. - MASONRY, HOME - 01926 641057 HOUSE AND HARD CARPENTRY, MOBILE: 07790 047588 LANDSCAPING. DRI-LINING, KITCHEN AND EMAIL: REASONABLE RATES

BATHROOM FITTING, [email protected] NO JOB TOO SMALL. TILING ETC….

 Specialising in rural properties in Warwickshire For all enquiries contact Julie:

 Quality properties at competitive prices Tel: 07894 716406

 Personal friendly service for Landlords and Tenants [email protected]  Total value in letting and property management www.property-hive.co.uk  No expensive ‘bundled’ packages

Why you should buy your new kitchen or

bathroom from Modern Homes!

 With over 43 years of trading we are the longest established specialist in your area.

 Predominantly British Manufactured products

 Family run ‘local’ business

 Personal recommendations

 Large kitchen and bathroom showroom

 Full installation service with employed fitters

 Value for money... We offer styles to suit all tastes and budgets  Kbsa members offering Consumer care protection www.modernhomesleamington.co.uk Email: [email protected]

01926 883338 Modern Homes, 37 Longfield Road, Sydenham Estate, Leamington Spa CV31 1XB (between Wilts and CAS) 72

Fiona’s Frames

Bespoke Picture Framing

Wide choice of mouldings & mounts for paintings, prints

and needlework

Friendly Professional Service

Phone 01926 812807

Hillside, Napton email:[email protected]

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Do you want your lawn to have a fresh start this Spring?

Now is the perfect time to have your lawn turfed, ready to be enjoyed for those hot summer days!

Also why not try our new high pressure water cleaning service ideal for putting life back into your patio or garden furniture!

Or take advantage of one of our many services, including: Gardens cleaned and tidied, lawns cut, fence repair, borders removed or created, Ivy clearance, trees and hedges trimmed, small tree felling, weed control.

Regular maintenance or odd jobs. - No job too large or too small. For all your outdoor chores, call your local, friendly gardener: Richard Everett Harbury 613509 Mobile: 07923167420 E-mail: [email protected]

JAMIESON JOINERS

Manufacturers of quality windows, doors,

stairs, conservatories, fitted kitchens/bedrooms.

Established 25 years.

Competitive prices. Private/Trade

Tel 01926 612921/07968 009094 or e-mail your enquiry to:

[email protected]

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FOR SALE

STECK upright

Piano

in dark wood

£550

Recently professionally valued

Telephone 01926 613340

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NEWSPAPERS DELIVERED

TO YOUR DOOR Early morning deliveries to Harbury, Ladbroke, Deppers Bridge and surrounding properties of all newspapers and magazines. One to seven days a week.

All vouchers accepted. Monthly billing Business accounts. For more information and immediate start telephone BISHOPS ITCHINGTON NEWS: 01926 612387

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Traditional village pub offering excellent cask ales. Offering Homemade English pub grub.

Family friendly beer garden with plenty of sunshine and lots to keep the kids entertained.

2 Courses from our selected

menu served between 12noon – 3pm Monday – Saturday £6.95

Sunday lunch is served

between 12 – 3pm and includes a choice of lamb, beef, pork or chicken, please book before

Friday evening to avoid disappointment.

Tel: 01926 612306

Regular restaurant menu available 12noon – 3pm, 6pm – 9pm Monday – Saturday small events catered for.

Chapel Street, Harbury, CV33 9HT Tel: 612306